Your Guardian Angel
by spirithorse
Summary: Sequel to Heaven's Not Enough. Two years have passed when an important artifact is stolen from heaven. Reluctantly, Yami is sent back to retrieve it. But can he resist the temptation of seeing Yugi again? YYxY, BxR. Warning:Character Death
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Welcome to the sequel to Heaven's Not Enough. This one is very loosely based on the All Dogs go to Heaven 2, mostly because the plot worked better when assembled like this, the characters in the second movie had all changed (minus the two main ones) and because I really don't like the second movie as much as the first. As before I will post warnings at the start of each chapter for such things and language, limes, character death and blood. The posting schedule will remain the same (Wednesday and Friday) unless something unforeseen comes up. So, please, enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or the song Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. I do, however, own everything in between.

**Warnings: **blood, character death

**

* * *

Your Guardian Angel**

**Chapter One**

The young man shuffled nervously into a corner, pressing back against the cottony surface as people passed him, too deep in their own conversation to notice him. He breathed a sigh of relief before dashing toward the end of the Oriental rug, plunging deep into the tangle of reeds that followed it. He grunted as the stalks of papyrus pushed against him, raising his hands to cover his face as he ran.

He stumbled as he neared the end of the field, jumping awkwardly to one side to avoid a log that was stuck among the reeds. It was probably just a log, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Shaking slightly from the incident with the log, the young man clambered out of the reeds, glancing around him once more before sitting on an edge, legs dangling off into the empty space. He closed his eyes, steadying himself before resigning himself to waiting.

Thankfully, the one he was meeting did not make him wait long. The young man straightened himself up as a low growl rumbled close to him, seeming to come from his mind. "**So you have come.**"

"Yes. You said you could help me leave here."

"**Yes.**"

"Leave as in go back to Domino and earth?"

"**Yes.**" There was a note of warning in the deep voice this time, the inflection making the young man flinch back. "**There is, of course, a price for my good will.**"

"Anything! Anything to leave this place! It's hell!"

"**I'm glad to hear that. Now, I need you to get me that book.**" The young man shifted nervously, earning a snarl from the voice. "**Or do you not wish to return?**"

"No!" The young man was nodding, but the voice kept going.

"**And yet you still hesitate. I thought you wanted to leave this place?**"

"I'll snatch it at the first opportunity."

"**Be sure to find that clock. I will need it.**"

The young man twitched at that mention, rubbing a hand over his face as he almost spoke. If he had spoken at that moment, he was sure that his voice would have trembled. He gave himself a rough shake, pulling himself together. He feared no man or beast, especially not now. "It might take longer than we both think. It would be foolish to be caught."

The voice gave a grumble of acceptance before disappearing completely from his mind, leaving the angel sitting on the edge of the cloud bank. The angel gave a sigh before standing up, unconsciously adjusting his halo before turning and beginning his struggles through the mass of papyrus again.

He pushed out into the open, stepping onto the ornate rug and brushing himself down, glad that it was the last time he would be making that journey. Movement from the main pathway made him look up abruptly, giving him enough time to jump to the side as more angels passed by, all of the congregating for something.

He groaned, almost slapping his own forehead as he remembered. They were gathering for the new assignments, and he would have to be there as well. He straightened up and joined the throng on the path, waiting until the angel in front of him took off before he followed into the sky. He looked down at the path, not surprised to see one lonely figure in black trudging along. Noa gave a mocking wave before following the flow of angels.

* * *

Ryou shut the door firmly behind him. He ran a hand over the wood before abruptly turning away and pushing his hands into his pockets. He had meant to stay in and finish the book he was reading or some of the book keeping for the Palace of Thebes. And those activities led to his problem.

It had been two years since the whole fiasco, and everything had managed to settle back down; almost too quickly for Ryou's sake. Especially when he kept getting glimpses of things that made him want to break down. It had been two years since Yugi had officially moved in with his grandfather on the other side of the river, in the socially acceptable side of Domino.

It had been two years since Yami had died in the fire that also claimed the _Baroness_. Two years exactly.

Today, like it had last year, the occupants of the house stuttered to a stop, suddenly unable to exist as they remembered something that seemed somewhat duller during the rest of the year. Bakura went out and did whatever Bakura did while he was mourning, staying out until he had to be dragged home by a friend. And then he locked himself in his room, sleeping.

Ryou, on the other hand, tried to keep on existing. After all, it was just another day of the year. A day just like any other. He had tried to read, unable to continue when he turned the page and Yami's bookmark fell out. It was a random piece of paper, but still, it was just too much. Ryou had nearly thrown down the book in a rush to find something else to do.

He had buried himself in the piles of paperwork that Mahad brought over, throwing himself into the mind numbing work that was the records for the casino. And that had brought him through at least three more hours until he had had to reference an earlier record. And that's when it had happened; Ryou had found himself skimming down a column of numbers in Yami's handwriting.

Ryou had to get out of the house after that. There were just too many memories today.

Yami was gone and he was not coming back. Ryou had to keep telling himself this. There was no trick that Yami could have used to get him out of the burning ship, especially not when the traitorous voice in the back of Ryou's mind was telling him that Yami had been dead long before they had noticed Yugi floating toward them on a plank of wood.

Ryou pulled a hand from his pocket to rub over his face, trying to push the few tears that had escaped away. He continued down the street of the neighborhood, not really looking at the group of eclectic houses that lined the road to either side of him. He altered his course to head for the swamp instead of his original destination of the old church.

What he wanted to be doing right now was curling up with Bakura and spending the day in abject misery together. But he wasn't sure if Bakura was even home yet. For all he knew, Bakura could have gone out of town to fetch the last member of their little group. After all, Marik had sent them a note saying he was coming back any day now.

Ryou groaned, hands fisting in his pockets. They hadn't even thought of how to tell Marik about Yami's demise yet, both Bakura and Ryou still struggling to cope without the tri-color haired teen. Marik was one of the two out of the loop, the second being Yugi. And Ryou was still working up the courage to disillusion Yugi.

After all, it had been Yugi who had brought the strain on the peace that the rag-tag family had possessed. Yugi had been the weak one who needed Yami to protect him. Yugi had been the one to be captured by Noa a second time when he let his emotions run rampant. For Yugi, Yami had died.

And Yugi still didn't know.

Ryou had only been to see Yugi once since that night of the boat. He remembered being disconcerted by the city, finding himself sidling along through the shadows before he forced himself to walk in the light. He was just bring attention to himself moving that way, pining him for some kind of pick pocket or someone guilty of a crime. And he didn't need people thinking that since he already came from the wrong side of town in their minds. He had tried to walk with his head high, but still unable to meet the gazes of anyone who walked on the street. Ryou had slipped on a mask of indifference, pretending to be occupied and rushing along, hoping his mask would hold. That control had lasted until he had reached the game shop where Yugi lived and was greeted by that smile.

And that clueless answer to his announcement that Yami was gone.

"Of course he's gone. He told me had had to leave for a while. But he'll be back. Good-bye isn't forever, you know."

Ryou could only stare in disbelief before he had excused himself and ran all the way back to his side of town. He envied the ability to believe a dream brought on by sickness; believe it with such fervor that the truth couldn't shatter the conviction. He envied the faith that Yugi had. Because Ryou couldn't bring himself to hope.

Dead was dead. There was no coming back.

Automatically, he allowed his feet to take him toward where the _Baroness_ had once been moored, an idea finally beginning to form to distract him from the memories. He would go to the shore and say his good-bye before going back to work. He could afford to let the façade slip for a bit.

Ryou turned to follow the street that led to the remains of the boardwalk that had led to the ship, his stride faltering as he saw the collection of flowers that had been placed on the shore. He came to a stop in the middle of the road, brown eyes wide as he watched the wind gently play with a few of the roses.

He broke down then, standing and hugging himself as he fought the tears that threatened to choke him. Yami had meant so much to everyone on this side of Domino. And the people missed their Pharaoh.

Ryou was completely lost in his own world, drowning in the swirl of memories and tears. He missed the sound of the wind as it picked up, making some of the flowers lift and drift to land in the water. He also missed the sound of a car engine.

* * *

Weevil gripped the steering wheel with his good hand, his left cradled in his lap. He gave the mutilated hand a hateful glance before focusing back on the lone figure standing in the road before him. He would recognize that white hair anywhere. Yami's precious sycophant, Ryou, was on his own.

He revved the engine with a smile. His life had been ruined since that night on the _Baroness_. Not only had he been in the hospital for weeks because of a broken neck, but no one had bothered to pick him up from where Yami had thrown him earlier, allowing his left hand to get horribly burned. And the injury to his neck had left him with no feeling in that arm.

But at least the old steamboat had gotten rid of Yami for him. He owed the _Baroness_ one for that.

With Yami out of the way, he only had one person to focus his anger at. And Ryou was all alone right now. And it didn't look like Ryou had any idea that Weevil was idling behind him.

Decision made, Weevil pressed the pedal to the floor. Ryou still had no inkling that he was rushing up behind him. It was just too perfect. Weevil smirked, just hit the teen and run, perfect plan. The smirk stayed on his face as he braced himself for impact.

* * *

Yugi pushed the textbook off his bed and sprawled backwards on his bed, groaning as he stretched out. He flung one arm up to cover his eyes as he rested. At least all his homework was done, or all the homework that he could stand at the moment. He shifted, one violet eye peeking out from under his arm to glare at the book he could just see out of the corner of his eye.

Looking for something to distract him, he glanced over at the desk that sat next to his bed, smiling as he stared at the picture in the frame. Four smiles were returned, one of them his own. Yugi sat up, pulling the picture to him to look at it closely.

The three friends he had made within the past two years smiled up at him, all trying to attempt to squeeze into the picture. Yugi was nearly being crushed out of the bottom of the picture as Joey leaned on his head, fingers raised in a goofy peace sign toward the camera. Flanking the blonde were his two brunette friends, ﻿Tea﻿ and Tristan, both laughing at Yugi's plight.

He chuckled to himself before setting the picture back on his desk. Catching a glimpse of gold, Yugi pushed off his bed and walked around to the front of his desk, reverently brushing the crown that sat there. He picked it up and walked back to his bed, turning it in the light.

The crown only came out when his friends weren't over, because Yugi didn't want to explain it. What had seemed alright in the world on the other side of the river didn't seem right over here. He didn't want to talk about the guy he had fallen in love with and kissed, not when the tales of his initial kidnapping where elaborated at his own school. He didn't need his time with Yami turned into a sordid romantic blunder.

So he kept the one physical reminder of that time hidden, only his grandfather knew that it existed. And his grandfather respected that Yugi didn't want what happened to him widely known. Yugi was more than happy to just slip back into the woodwork and remain anonymous for the rest of his days.

Besides, he couldn't even wear the thing. He had tried once, but had taken it off almost immediately. There was just something about the plastic crown. Although Yami had given it to him, a joke that the fake title of King of Games was being passed to him, it wasn't right. Yugi just wasn't the Pharaoh.

Yugi's smile disappeared at the thought, gaze turning to his skylight. He looked out to the sky, not really seeing anything that was going on. Absentmindedly, he let his fingers brush over the crown, sweeping off the ends and finding the one chip in the paint that was shaped like a teardrop.

When was Yami coming back? He had told Yugi that he was just going to sort things out, but how long did that take? And what things was he sorting out?

Noa's body, or what was left of it, had been found in the prior year; mauled almost beyond recognition. That had started the fear of swimming because of alligators, which Yugi had laughed at. There was only one alligator to worry about in the area and that was Ammut. Ammut would never harm him.

So Yami hadn't gone into hiding to escape Noa. The authorities had finally called Yugi's mother's murder a cold case, and Yugi didn't press for a verdict. Noa had gotten what he deserved in the end, who was he to try a dead man?

Yugi twisted to put the crown back on his desk, resting it beside the picture of his friends. He sighed, good mood suddenly gone. He wrapped himself up in his blanket, closing his eyes. If he could just imagine it was Yami here instead of a blanket…but it was fruitless. A small whimper escaped his lips as he fell sideways onto the bed, burying his head in his pillow.

"Yami, I miss you."

* * *

Aknadin edged his way through the flow of people, forcing himself not to flinch away from them as they bumped into him. Critically, his blue eyes swept through the crowd, his face twitching as he held back his true feelings. What kind of place did his nephew live in?

He glanced down at the paper he held tightly in one hand, skimming over the information that had been briefly given to him. To find his nephew, he first had to find a place called the Palace of Thebes. And then, he _might_ find where he was.

Aknadin shook his head, allowing the longer exhale to be his only sight of annoyance. Why was the boy making it so hard for him to be found? After all, his uncle was genuinely worried about him. It was the duty of the older brother to look after the younger. And when Aknadin's brother's family suddenly disappeared, he went searching.

It had been easy at first, finding that his little brother had moved here with the beginnings of his family, settling in Domino on the other side of the river. There, the youngest daughter had been born. Apparently, from what he could glean from old neighbors, they were quite a likeable family.

Then, the economy had taken a turn for the worse. The family had troubles with money and the oldest child disappeared, dead or alive, no one knew. The parents, Aknadin's little brother and his wife, had died a few years later, leaving their young daughter behind.

Aknadin had spoken with the orphanages, getting no answer about his niece until one horrible day. He had found the place where she had been, a cheery little place. But they had told him that his niece had died at nine; disease was the official word. Suicide was whispered by some of the staff when he asked them, something that his mind still had a hard time accepting. How could one kill themselves at nine?

So that had left him with his nephew, the ever elusive one during this whole chase. All the leads that he had found led to dead ends. Nobody seemed to know about his nephew, even when he showed pictures to them. Aknadin pushed his way out of the crowd, hand twitching with the urge to take out one of them now. It was the only connection he had been allowed with his disowned brother.

He turned down a street, eyes widening at the flashy front of the casinos, eyes moving automatically to the one that reminded him the most of his home. Although glaringly inaccurate, the Palace of Thebes was a welcome break from the rest of the casinos which had been done up with bright colors and neon lights.

He hesitated at the door before going in, shuddering at the environment. He was a businessman, a good businessman. And yet he had never gone into a casino, simply because there was nothing that attracted him about the establishments. He was single, so there was no wife and children to escape from and his luck was horrible; a fact learned from a childhood trying to best his younger brother in games.

Aknadin took a deep breath before walking further in, his eyes immediately going to the bar. There had to be someone there willing to talk to him. Carefully, he wove his way through the growing crowd, aware that it would get bigger as more businesses shut their doors for the day. He squeezed out of the mass of people and found a seat at the bar, right beside a man who had his head buried in his arms. Aknadin only got a glimpse of white hair before the bartender walked over to him.

"I was told that someone in here could help me." Aknadin spoke before the bartender could, wanting to get this over with and get out of the casino. "I'm looking for my nephew."

"Try up at the old church, that's where all the orphaned kids go."

"He's probably older than you think." Aknadin chuckled a bit, leaning on the bar. The man's voice, while slightly irritated, was not unkind. "He's been missing for a while and it's taken me this long just to get this far."

"So who are you looking for?" The man mimicked Aknadin's position, his brown eyes kind.

"Atemu Seti."

He had been ready for any reaction; disbelief, laughter or even confusion. But he had not been ready for the depth of sadness in the man's eyes or the pity that seemed to leak from the people within hearing range. Aknadin looked around in surprise, gaze flitting back to the bartender as he stood up straight. "Atemu was your nephew."

"Yes." He was eager now, the reaction had proved that they knew where he was, that he wasn't just chasing a lie this time. "Do you know where he is?"

The bartender seemed to clam up at that moment, looking down at the bar. Aknadin turned his head, surprised as others did the same. A sharp bark of laughter from the man beside him made him turn around, jumping at the harsh look in the russet eyes. "Yeah, we all know where the Pharaoh is."

The man shifted his position, sitting up and leaning on the bar with one arm. "You picked a bad time to show up and ask about him though?"

"Why?" Aknadin had to wonder at the strange nickname that his nephew had acquired, quickly shaking it off as nothing important. "Where is my nephew?"

The man pointed over his shoulder, shifting so Aknadin could look as well. "Just go that way for a while…or ask someone how to get to the swamps. Or better yet, ask for where the _Baroness_ was. You'll find your nephew there, at the bottom of the swamp."

Aknadin's mind ceased to function, turning over the words that refused to make sense. Why would Atemu be there? Unless… "How long?"

"Two years today." Aknadin winced, looking away from the man. He jumped as the bartender placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"If it is any consolation, many people respected your nephew."

"Thanks." His voice cracked over the work, but he found that he did not care. The last of his family was gone now.

* * *

It was amazing. He had spent the whole day here and was still on his first drink. Bakura absently played with the glass. If he hadn't already known the reason, he would have been worried about the state of his mental health. But there was a reason, thank the gods. It was his memory.

Everywhere he went he was chased by the memory of Yami. Everyone had known him. Everyone had loved him. And everyone mourned him.

The house had held too many ghosts and the streets held too many like the thief. The sound of daily life had been muted as the people mourned the loss of their Pharaoh. And, the most startling thing to Bakura, was the spread of the thing.

In escaping the house, he had followed the river until he had reached the limits of Domino, and still found people who knew Yami. Which led to him losing himself in the crowd at the Palace of Thebes, wanting to lose himself among people as miserable as himself.

Forcing himself away from his thoughts, Bakura stood up, looking over at Mahad as he drew away from the man who claimed to be Yami's uncle. Bakura felt a smattering of sympathy for him before the misery infringed on him again. He stepped away from the bar, the movement getting Mahad's attention. A raised eyebrow posed a question that Bakura had to answer.

"I'm going down to the _Baroness_. Hopefully that will drive all of this," he waved around vaguely, trying to encompass the whole gambit of messed up emotions running around in his head, "away."

Mahad nodded and stepped around the bar, another employee sliding into his place. "I'll go with you. I haven't visited yet this year."

"Should we take him?" The next motion was to Yami's uncle, who was still staring right through the bar.

"No, he'll come when he's ready to." Mahad walked through the crowd, people moving out of the way to allow him and Bakura to walk out into the dimming light. Bakura immediately took the lead, shivering a little in the chill after being in the warm casino.

The two of them moved along at a good pace, neither dragging their feet. It was a habit for both of them, they moved everywhere with a purpose, no energy wasted. Even with the pace, night was falling as they reached the road that led to the resting place of the old steamboat.

Bakura sighed, watching his breath rise up as a cloud of vapor, too focused on that to notice that Mahad had stopped. When the sound of the other's footsteps was not heard behind him, Bakura turned back around, shooting a questioning glance at the casino owner.

Mahad was staring at something ahead in the road, shock the only thing that kept him in place. Bakura snorted, shaking his head. Of course the monument that had appeared last year had grown in size. People had probably been trekking here all day. It probably took up the whole shoreline by now.

His thoughts trailed off as Mahad took a shaky step forward. This wasn't that kind of shock. It was another kind, the kind that Bakura had seen and experienced too recently. With his heart pounding in double time, the thief turned around, staring at the road.

He didn't know if the scream was Mahad's or his own, but he did know that he was running while the shout echoed around them. "Ryou!"

Bakura rushed immediately to Ryou's side, kneeling down to check for a pulse. His fingers rested on the side of Ryou's neck, his own breath muffled as he waited to feel anything. There was no movement under his fingertips, just cold flesh.

Bakura jerked his hand away like it had been burned, staring at the body with slowly dawning comprehension. No pulse. No breathing. He flinched as he rocked forward, placing his hand on something that wasn't the road. Bakura glanced down, staring at the dried blood. He felt bile rise in his throat.

"Bakura!" The thief turned at the sound of his name being called. Mahad was standing by the car, holding a triumphant looking Weevil by the collar.

Bakura snapped, standing abruptly to storm over. He pulled Weevil away from Mahad before the man had a change to react and slammed Noa's former right hand man against the back of his own car. "Why did you do it?! Why did you kill Ryou?!"

To his annoyance, Weevil just laughed. Bakura snarled and shook the smaller teenager, watching as he continued laughing. "Tell me!"

"Doesn't the Pharaoh deserve a servant in heaven?" Weevil hadn't even finished his answer before Bakura threw him to the side, intending to snap his neck with his own two hands. Mahad caught the smaller man before that, pulling him away from Bakura.

"It's what he wants, Bakura. Don't give him that satisfaction."

"But what about what I want?" Bakura twisted to point to the body lying on the side of the road. "This is Ryou! He took him away from…" Bakura sagged, all the anger leaving his body suddenly. He turned and stumbled back to the body, kneeling down beside it again. "Just do what you want. Doesn't matter."

He didn't see Mahad's nod, or see the casino owner walk away. He was too lost in his own thoughts. Bakura reached out again before snatching his hand back, cradling it with his other as if to replicate what he wanted to do. It just wasn't fair, first Yami and now Ryou. His Ryou…

Bakura gulped, forcing the tears back. He had promised himself and Yami that nothing would happen to Ryou, not while he was around. And he had failed. Failed spectacularly.

He suddenly could be there anymore. Bakura stood up quickly and turned, running away into the night. He chose a direction in random, sprinting through the emptying streets of the shady side of Domino, ignoring the confused stares that were thrown his way. All he wanted to do was outrun the image burned in his head. He wanted to outrun the memories that threatened to drown him.

_

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Yay new story?  
_

_Ready and review. Criticism is always appreciated. Flames will be laughed at._

_*runs and hides* Don't hurt the author!  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or the song Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. Everything in between is mine.

**

* * *

Chapter Two**

Yami stood at the back, slowly moving along the row of angels that stood in front of him. He flinched as a few turned to look at him, their glares telling him enough. To them, he was just a punk who had gotten lucky and squeaked into their eternal resting place. Not that Yami blamed them for the impression. He had appeared back in heaven in the clothes he had died in, black boots and tight black jeans with two belts around his hips. His sleeveless shirt was a dark color, but close enough to black not to matter and his hair spiked up in its natural state, the three colors probably making it look fake.

He folded his wings closer to his back, the white feathers a stark contrast to his black outfit. Apparently the robes were optional, which was why he hadn't been given one. Instead, he had been presented a halo; the wings appearing after he had sent the halo hovering over his head.

Yami skirted further down the row, ducking his head to avoid the glares. He didn't want to be here anyway. As long as the head angels saw him en route, the figured that he was there. There was just one thing that he had to check on before he left.

Guardianships were being awarded. Angels who had been deemed worthy based on the events of their mortal life were given the chance to watch over a person, whichever person they chose to watch. A guardianship was the only thing that Yami wanted.

First, guardian angels were allowed to go back down to earth; it was an essential part of their duty. And Yami was willing to try anything to get back to earth. Days in heaven passed like eternities, dragging on forever and into infinity. He had lost his sense of time soon after arriving, getting lost in the monotony that grated on his young nerves. He had died in the prime of his life and not by his own choice. He was not at peace with himself because, unlike the others, he knew that there was a way out to this existence. He just wasn't willing to risk the price like before. Yami shuddered at the small glimpse he had gotten of hell before Isis had saved him.

Second, and most importantly, he would be able so see those he cared about again. He would be able to see Yugi. Yami swallowed at the thought, the yearning to get away even stronger now that he thought of the teenager he had fallen in love with. Maybe, if he was lucky, he would be able to talk to Yugi and explain everything. How he was never going to come back because he was dead. How Yugi should move on, because he deserved to live.

A more traitorous part of him whispered to keep Yugi close because the teen would be snatched up easily by another. He shook his head, a blonde bang falling across his eye. Yami flipped it away, finally getting a good vantage point.

Ahead of him, through the rows of angels, was a cloud dais. On the dais, angels in robes stood, their wings partially outstretched. One droned on, giving a speech about the great honor that would be bestowed on them. Yami ignored him and looked to the back of the group, crimson eyes locking with blue ones.

Isis gave a small nod to show that she had seen him, her forced smile easing a bit as he returned the nod. The two of them had an understanding. Isis was the only one who seemed too see past the mask that Yami kept on and actually liked him for reasons unknown to the teen. He had made her look pretty incompetent on his first visit here by snatching his watch and disappearing back to earth. But she still talked to him, the only angel that would, without prior prompting.

Yami tipped his head to the side, silently asking the question; the same question he asked every time one of these meetings was called. Am I going to be called up?

The smile turned melancholy as Isis gave a small shake of her head, mouthing 'I'm sorry' as Yami pulled further back. Safe at the back of the crowd, Yami raised a hand in thanks before turning and walking back down the path. He waited until he had turned a corner before leaning back against the nearest cloud, hands clenching into fists as he fought to urge to punch something.

He should know better than to expect any reward, he was on a probation of sorts. They didn't trust him because of his past or his actions upon coming to heaven the first time. They didn't like him because of what clothes he had appeared in, his tri-colored hair and the way he walked everywhere instead of flying. These were signs that he was different, too different to fit in with the rest of the angels, who were quite content with their afterlife.

"And as a reward for his changed behavior, we award a guardianship to Noa Kaiba." Yami was jolted back to the real world as the voice of an angel belted out the name. He slipped down the cloud, sitting on the Oriental rug that seemed to cover all the pathways in heaven.

Noa had gotten one. _Noa_ had gotten a guardianship while he had been passed over. Noa could go back freely now while he had to stay here. Yami stared at his hands, waiting for his world to stop spinning before placing his head on his knees with a groan. Noa could go back and he was left here. Yugi. He would never see Yugi.

He didn't look up at the rustle of wings as the other angels moved off at the end of the ceremony, too used to their stares to look up. He gritted his teeth at the few excited mutters from above, marking the angels who had been awarded this great task. Yami only looked up when a gentle hand was rested on his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Atemu."

Questions raced around in Yami's head. When will they consider me? What keeps them from giving me this, really? What do I have to do to prove myself to them? Will I be stuck here forever? Instead of voicing those, Yami looked up and said, "Does it ever stop hurting?"

Isis gave him a kind smile. "No, not really. Even if you can convince yourself that everyone you left behind is moving on without you, it's hard without the evidence right in front of you. And then there's the part of you that hopes that they don't move on, that they need you as much as you need them."

Yami's answer was a noncommittal grunt. He heard Isis sigh in frustration as he let his head drop back to rest on his knees. "At least you have your parents here, Atemu."

"No. They don't speak to me either."

"Disappointed in you?" Yami was on his feet quickly at the sound of the familiar voice, glaring at Noa as he sauntered up. His smile widened at the look of anger on Yami's face. "Oh, are you mad that I got what you wanted? It's only fair, I have changed my ways since I got here. And, I do want to check up on Yugi, to be sure that I haven't scarred him for life."

Yami lunged forward, only to be held back by Isis. "You stay away from him!"

Noa flinched back, relaxing only when he was sure that Yami couldn't get away. He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture before flapping his wings and taking off. Yami slumped in Isis' hold as he flew out of reach, eventually shoving her hands off of him.

"Atemu, I'm-"

"No." Yami shook his head, not bothering to apologize for cutting her off. "Just, not now, okay."

Isis nodded and flew off herself, leaving Yami to trudge back down the Oriental carpet toward the great golden gates that marked the official entrance. Here was the only link to the world of the living, the board that listed the incoming arrivals.

Yami craned his head back to see the board, the angels around him already moving down to the gates to wait for their friends and family. He watched them go out of the corner of his eye, fighting the urge to sigh and let himself slump. Most of the angels probably deserved the happiness they got here, but he couldn't stand it. Without permission, his eyes flicked up to read the year that hovered over the board, nearly screaming his frustration.

Two years! He had only been trapped in this place for two years! It felt much longer than that, equal to the seventeen years he had lived before his death. How could have only two years passed on earth?

Now he let himself slump, reading the names on the board without really paying attention. He couldn't even work himself back into that blissfully numb state that he spent most of his days in. Being numb was easier than being aware of every moment that passed and wishing that he was elsewhere.

Yami sighed and was ready to turn away. Perhaps Isis would have one of her odd jobs for him to do. The idea forced a laugh from him, the sound foreign to his own ears. That's what he would be doing for all of eternity, odd jobs. His amusement was almost enough for him to miss the name that flashed up on the board. Almost.

He spun back around, mouth dropping open in disbelief as he read the name, eyes moving from the name on the board to where the person was coming from. Yami remained staring at the board as the new souls started to arrive, most being gathered up by their friends and family, sometimes by another angel, and led away from the gates. It was only when the flow reversed that Yami was able to jerk himself out of his shock and jog toward the gates, praying that the board had been wrong.

Running against the flow of angels made the few second journey down stretch to minutes, each one allowing Yami's thoughts to race around in their circle. He couldn't be here; it was too early for him. Besides, he was more careful than that and Yami's enemy was here in heaven, too far away to harm him. And Bakura…Bakura should have been taking care of him.

Yami slowed as he burst out of the crowd, walking to the crumpled soul that rested at the base of the gate. One angel, not a part of the official greeting staff, made a move to help the soul, stopping when it saw Yami. To his surprise, the angel gave him a sympathetic smile before flying off. Yami turned his head to watch the angel go, the move to comfort the soul meaning more to him than the smile.

Ignoring the glares of the official greeting staff, Yami knelt by the soul, brushing the long white hair out of the way. He paused for a moment; the one hand that was not curled into a fist quivering at it hovered above the soul. He closed his eyes against the tears, banishing the last of his doubts. It had been too soon, but it had still happened.

Sighing, Yami reached down and gave the shoulder a gentle shake. "Come on, Ryou, wake up."

* * *

"Ryou…little brother…come on…" The words floated through his mind, the voice and the meaning familiar, but nothing was sticking. He groaned and tried to roll away from the voice, only to have his back press against something metallic. Ryou sluggishly opened his eyes, wondering why there was something metal in his bed.

"Gods," Ryou yelped as he was swept up into a hug, "you scared me there."

He gave a squeak and pulled out of the embrace, intending to send the person who was invading his personal space away when he caught sight of the familiar red eyes and blonde bangs. Ryou clamped down on the arms that held him, the need to keep this person close to him baffling. Didn't they live together in the same house? Hadn't he seen this person everyday? Ryou quickly decided it didn't matter, pulling back only far enough to get a good look at the person's face.

It was angular and tan, the red eyes almost covered by the blonde bangs that hung around his face in a jagged formation. Ryou followed the bangs up into the black hair, noticing that a few intruded into the darker hair before he glanced at the red tipped spikes.

His hands tightened on the arms of the person, trembling as he let his gaze fall back down to the familiar red eyes and the tentative smile. "Yami?"

Another squeak was forced from him as Yami pulled him into a hug, nearly crushing him. "Ryou…I…" He cut himself off and rested his head against Ryou's shoulder. "It's good to see you."

Ryou chuckled, about to retort that he had just seen him this morning when someone loomed up behind Yami. "You two will have to move."

He felt Yami stiffen before the older teen gave a reluctant nod. Ryou blinked at the hand that was offered to him, reaching out hesitantly and taking it. As he was pulled back onto his feet, whimper as muscles ached and his head throbbed. He pitched forward, only to be caught by Yami.

Ryou moaned and pressed his head against Yami's shoulder. Why did he hurt so much? He couldn't remember anything recently that he had done to cause this kind of pain. Lost in the sharp stabs of pain in his head, Ryou allowed Yami to guide him away, groaning as the quick stop caused his head to throb.

"We'll need him to sign this…for the records." Ryou could almost hear Yami scowling at the man. To prevent a fight, Ryou stood up straight and reached for the pen that was handed to him, quickly scrawling 'Ryou' on the line indicated. The man seemed to stare at him for a moment, looking between the name and the pen. "Last name?"

"Doesn't have one." Yami snapped out the answer, the volume making Ryou wince and press his free hand to his head. "His family died and left him with me. He prefers not to use it. Check the book if you can't trust me. Come on Ryou."

The pen was taken from his hand and shoved at the man before Yami began to help him away again. The order to halt again came soon afterward, Yami swinging them both around. The man was striding forward, something circular and bright held in his hands. "This belongs to Ryou."

Ryou reached out to hold the object, turning it around in his hands as he tried to puzzle it out. He never remembered owning something like this, not something so obviously valuable or pretty. Turned one way it looked silver and turned the other way it looked gold, far too precious for something in his standing to have. He was about to hand it back to the man with a protest when Yami lifted it from his hands.

"Ryou, do you know where you are?" The worry in Yami's eyes and voice made him pay more attention to his surroundings, which he had just taken for granted now. He turned slowly, still leaning on Yami, as he surveyed the place he had woken up in.

Clouds were everywhere, floating above him and around him. He glanced down, surprised to see an Oriental rug among the clouds, resting peacefully on top of the fluffy white masses. Ryou blinked and looked up, marveling in the blue sky before taking another quick look around him. There were just clouds, and people flying.

People with white wings and those circlets hovering above their heads…

And it was wrong. The feeling hit him, making him turn and stare at Yami as he puzzled his way through it. It was wrong to have Yami here as well. Because something had happened…He remembered missing his friend fiercely because he wasn't there every morning when he woke up. Because Ryou never saw him around anymore.

Because Yami was dead.

Ryou stumbled back a few steps, pointing at Yami as he tried to speak in a steady voice. "You…you're dead!"

"Ryou…"

"No!" Ryou waved him back, not wanting to have anything intrude on his thought process. "You're dead. You died, Yami! How are you here? How am I here?!" Ryou calmed instantly at the sobering thought, his brain finally landing on the answer he was searching for. "Does that mean, I'm dead too?"

Yami sighed, slumping with the release of breath. The older teen toyed with the halo that he still held in his hands before giving it back to Ryou. "Yes."

Numbly, Ryou took the halo and lifted it to rest above his head, giving Yami a weak smirk before releasing the metal circle. Instead of crashing down, like he expected to, it hovered just above his hair. Before he had time to think about it, Ryou was sent off balance as something appeared on his back. He twisted around, eyes widening at the sight of the white wings that sprung from his shoulder, passing easily through the cotton of his blue and white striped shirt.

"Welcome to paradise, Ryou." He turned around to look at Yami, really looking at his friend for the first time since he had gotten here. Like himself, Yami had a halo hovering above his head and wings coming from his back, although he seemed more comfortable with the latter. Aside from the two new additions, he looked just as Ryou remembered him.

There were many questions that he wanted to ask, meant to ask, but the first one that came out was, "Is my family here?"

Yami chuckled. "I'm sure they'll find-"

"Ryou!" He turned at the almost forgotten voices of his mother and little sister, barely having the time to open his arms before he was nearly thrown backwards. Ryou coughed as his mother held him close, his sister mimicking the action by hugging him around the waist. Ryou smiled to himself and cuddled closer, cherishing the reunion with those he had thought were lost.

He didn't notice Yami slipping away, backing up from the happy family while staring down at his empty hand. He didn't notice the white wings opening slightly from his friend's back and shifting to block out the world around him. Ryou's mother's cries of, "I'm so happy we found you!" drowned out the soft whimper that escaped from Yami's lips as he was left alone.

* * *

Noa watched hidden in a cloud bank as an angel struggled up the path with the book in her hands. He smiled at the lucky circumstances before pulling him out of the cloud, impatiently brushing the clinging bits from his clothes. He straightened his shirt before walking after the encumbered angel, quickly switching out his smile to the one he had used to reel customers in. "Do you need help?"

The angel looked up and immediately blushed, rocking back as the book proved to be too heavy for her slight frame. Her gaze dropped in the next moment, deciding that staring at the cover of the book was a better idea than staring at the young man who had offered to help her. "Yes."

"It looks a bit heavy." Noa gently pried the book from her grasp, mock staggering as he took the weight himself. The act got a giggle from the smaller angel, her hands covering her mouth as she laughed. Noa worked to keep the smile on his face, trying not to roll his eyes and her antics. "How about I take it the rest of the way for you?"

"You would do that?"

Noa waved away any more questions, wanting to get rid of the girl. She was starting to annoy him with her blushing and staring. "Of course."

The angel scampered off, giving him a friendly wave before disappearing into the sky. Noa shifted the book so he could wave back, hand slamming down on the cover when the angel was no longer in sight. Idiotic, that's what she was. Gullible and idiotic. Noa grumbled the words to himself as he continued up the path, checking to see that no one else was in sight before ducking to the side.

He pushed through the cloud, shaking the fluffy bits off him as he entered the room of clocks. His eyes darted around, a wide smile covering his face as he listened to the gentle tick of people's lives. But, he didn't have time to bask here, not now.

Noa hefted the book into a better position under his arm before striding off down a row, eyes skimming over the clocks. He let himself be drawn in a single direction, more than ready to trust his gut instinct on this. Although he shared his older brother's skepticism on the existence of magic, places like this had to work in that fashion. Otherwise, the angels would spend most their afterlives searching for the one watch of a soul.

He walked past it the first time, eyes fixed on one of the more intricate clocks. When the gentle pull stopped, Noa formed himself to backtrack. The pull ceased at a plain, if somewhat battered, alarm clock. Incredulously, Noa plucked it from where it floated, staring at the face with the two bells that sat on the top of the round clock. He could safely say that it was nothing like he expected. For one thing, he expected the clock of his life to be somewhat bigger.

Even though it caused a blow to his pride, Noa brushed off the thought for later and walked deeper into the rows of clocks, brushing past a stack of wristwatches until he decided he was deep enough. No angel would come back here looking for him, especially if he judged some of the names right, some of them he remembered from the few history classes he had been forced to sit through. And the book would not be missed for a while longer if the girl was the book's regular keeper.

Noa grinned, letting go of his alarm clock to let it float in the air before him. He removed the halo from his head, pitching forward as the familiar weight of his wings suddenly disappeared. Noa craned his neck, getting a glimpse of his shoulder blades. No white feathers met his gaze. He was free.

With a burst of laughter, Noa flung the halo away from him, his smile becoming broader as the metal circle bounced off a cuckoo clock before tumbling to the ground. He glared at the symbol of his imprisonment before clutching the book to his chest with one arm, the other reaching for his clock.

He flipped the timepiece over, gripping the winding mechanism with a sense of glee. He was escaping from this place! He was going home! Noa cut off the next bout of laughter, using that energy to quickly wind up the clock.

When the alarm clock started to pulse with light, Noa held it away from his body, looking on in fear as the light suddenly engulfed him, sending him backwards with what felt like a punch to his stomach. Noa coughed suddenly, closing his eyes against the rush of colors that filled his vision.

And then there was nothing but silence. Noa kept his eyes closed, trying to draw in a breath, only to realize that there was little air. Panic flooded him as he lashed out, feeling bones rub together in a disturbing way. Dirt trickled down into his face, fueling his panic as he dug to the surface, surprised that he wasn't buried deeper.

Noa pulled himself from the shallow pit he had been buried in, an acerbic comment on his former employees cut off as he gasped for air. His body writhed in pain as he felt bone and muscle shifting about, then an unpleasant itching sensation.

Noa clawed at the ground, begging silently for the pain to cease. His eyes snapped open when it suddenly did, leaving him gasping for air on his hands and knees. Noa remained still until he heard a faint ticking coming from behind him. The young man turned around slowly, crawling back over to the shallow pit. Down at the bottom was the tell-tale glint of the alarm clock and the solid shadow of the book.

He smiled, reaching out for the two objects when a bout of lethargy hit him. Noa groaned and fell to the ground, one arm dangling into the pit, fingers brushing against the metallic surface of the clock as it ticked happily.

* * *

A man slid from the shadows, the moon cmaking his white turban and robe seem to glow. The man walked over to Noa, prodding him with a foot and stepping back as the young man groaned. Shadi flicked his tongue against the back of his teeth as he turned to look through the trees, thinking.

From what he knew, this man had been killed by Ammut. He had watched them pull the body out of the swamp and watched them dig the grave and roll the mawled corpse into the shallow hole. And yet, the man was alive and whole, not the mauled pile flesh that he had seen previously. Shadi crossed his arms and shifted his weight. Something was not right.

He turned his head, ignoring the clock at the bottom of the pit for now; the timepiece obviously meant as much to this man as the watch had to the Pharaoh. His attention was caught by the book, the rich purple cover with its golden embroidery hidden in the shadows of the pit. Shadi bent down to scoop it up, carefully brushing the dirt from the book.

Upon opening the book, he found it blank. Confused, Shadi shut the book and then opened it again, staring at the pristine white pages. He closed the book, eyes trying to puzzle out was what on the cover, but it was hard to make out in the dim light. Shadi blinked and looked up, tapping his fingers against the cover of the book.

Obviously, this was important to this man as well, but Shadi wasn't about to let him have it. This man was the one who had caused all the trouble. He was the one who had stolen what was precious to the Pharaoh. So, the man shouldn't possess the book.

Shadi turned away, walking toward the road and the shore, still trying to see what was on the cover in the dim light. Something told him that this book was important. But, something also told him that he was the wrong person to be investigating this mystery. So, he would keep the book for the Pharaoh, returning it to him when he returned.

He stepped out onto the open road, looking at the pile of flowers with a controlled sneer on his face. It was good that the people recognized and loved their king, but they had no faith. The Pharaoh would come back when his people needed him; to mourn him in such a way was disgusting. As all people, the Pharaoh had other duties to attend to. These people also had no idea how to properly give gifts to their beloved pharaoh; flowers would be useless to him.

A flash of white out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Shadi turned on his heel, bowing his head in sorrow as he saw the splayed out body of the teenager. He carefully walked over, shifting the body so he could see the person's face. He studied the brown eyes and the soft features intently before he recognized the person. It was the one Pharaoh called brother.

Carefully, Shadi placed the book to the side and walked Ryou's body into the trees, placing him under some undergrowth. It hurt that this was the only thing he could do for the teen, knowing that by any standard it was a poor funeral. He didn't want to leave the boy here for too long, not knowing who would find him, but he had other matters to attend to. He would come back and make sure that the boy was sent to his proper rest after he had hidden the book safely.

Content if not happy with his work, Shadi retrieved the book and walked off into the night.

* * *

_Read and review. Criticism is greatly appreciated._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or the song Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. Everything in between is mine.

**

* * *

Chapter Three**

"**Get up!**" Noa groaned at the voice that suddenly invaded his head. He weakly waved one arm to ward it away, trying to find a comfortable spot. The voice gave a threatening growl. "**Get up, you stupid mortal. You lost the book!**"

The book? Noa opened his eyes, staring at the one hand that dangled into the pit. He shifted forward, peering into the shadows of his grave. It took a while for the world to come back into focus, lances of pain making his head throb. Finally, Noa shook his head, the spinning world sliding back into place.

The book wasn't in the grave. Nor was it anywhere around him.

Noa sat up, rubbing his head as it ache finally stopped, leaving him able to think. The voice was still growling in his head, but he had gotten used to its presence in the months that he had been dealing with the creature. "Sorry. Didn't expect that to happen."

The voice grumbled some more before it let out what sounded like a sigh. Noa grabbed his head as it throbbed again, his skin feeling too warm to the touch. "**You will just have to remedy the situation. Find it!**"

"How? It could be anywhere by now." Noa stood up and paced, hands going behind his back as he tried to stay calm. He had the time to think this out. It was useless to get intimidated by the voice in his head. "All my former sources know I'm dead. I can't just walk up to them and ask for information."

"**They will notice it is missing.**"

"Yes, I'm sure they will. And then what, because we're missing it too." Noa groaned, stopping his frantic movement to lean against a tree. Already he felt too sore. And he had barely done anything.

"**They will notice it is missing.**" Noa wanted to hit the voice; repetition would get them nowhere. He paused as the panic finally ebbed away, leaving him clear for real thought. Of course the angels would notice that their precious book was missing, and then they would send a few down to find it. If he just followed the angels, or found some people to follow them, then he would be led right to the book.

The voice gave a snarl of assent at his plan, quickly leaving his mind in peace as Noa shuffled back over to his grave and picked up his clock. He cradled the battered timepiece gently as he walked deeper into the trees, wanting to avoid people for now. It was a matter of time before someone noticed that he was here, or noticed the open grave. And, for now, Noa wanted to remain invisible.

If there was one thing that heaven had taught him, it was patience.

* * *

Weevil scowled as Mahad shoved him along, resisting the urge to fight the older man. After all, he would have no chance. Just because his initial idea didn't work out didn't mean that he would have to throw the whole plan away. Besides, Mahad had played right into his hand.

He didn't want to be killed for his actions; that would be defeating the whole point of what he did. Weevil wanted to live and watch as they suffered, like he had. The only mistake in the plan so far had been getting caught at the scene of the crime. But he hadn't been able to resist the urge to stay and see Bakura's face when he discovered that his precious Ryou was dead.

Weevil had to bit his lip to keep himself from laughing. And it had been worth it in the end to see the high and mighty thief suddenly brought so low.

Now was the time to begin to think about his next actions, before Mahad got too far. His gut instinct was to go after the next weak person, his mind immediately jumping to Yugi. Unfortunately, he didn't know where the little brat was now; the extent of his knowledge a guess that Yugi was back where he belonged. Too far out of Weevil's reach.

The only other option left to him was to go after those orphaned kids, but even Weevil had a limit to his revenge scheme. He didn't like the children, but that was going too far.

Stuck for the moment, Weevil looked down at his shoes, considering the other options. There was a possibility that he could get Bakura, but that window of opportunity was quickly slimming to nothing. Bakura would be even more alert for attempts against his life now.

Weevil gave a fervent look at the man who strode slightly ahead of him. All he needed to do now was escape. And that was just running until he lost himself in the swamp. Now was as good a time as any. Weevil tensed for a moment before turning and taking off, smirking at the startled noise that Mahad made.

He plunged into the tree line, quickly losing himself in the shadows as Mahad blundered after him. He couldn't hold back his laughter now, letting the chuckle loose as he raced further away, easily keeping ahead of the larger man.

Weevil ducked behind a large tree, holding his breath until Mahad passed before letting it out on a long exhale. He smiled, peering around the tree at the man's retreating back. That had been too easy. Well, he would not complain for long. He was free for another few nights to figure out his next move.

Smothering another bout of laughter, Weevil turned around, only to be met by a familiar pair of ice cold blue eyes. Weevil yelped and pressed himself back against the tree, cowering under the combination of the eyes and the smirk that crossed the face of his former employer.

"I have a job for you, Weevil."

* * *

Aknadin didn't know what time it was when he finally stumbled out of the casino, blindly following the directions he had been given. As he feet took him toward his destination at the edge of the swamp, his mind continued to digest the information that he had been given.

His nephew was dead; which meant that the only family he had left was dead.

Originally, his search had begun because he had wanted to break the news to his brother that their parents were dead; that he was welcome back into the family. Aknadin would not hold the grudge their father had, demanding that they marry into a certain bloodline to keep themselves pure. Aknadin had just wanted to see his little brother happy.

Instead he had followed a trail of death to this place.

He stumbled over a crack in the road, jarring himself out of the depressing thoughts that clogged his mind. As he looked up, he could see the faint sheen of light on the water and hear the soft lapping of the water on the shore. Aknadin sighed, running his hands over his face before walking onward, determined to find this place. He owed it to his little brother and to his nephew.

He was not prepared for the sheer amount of flowers that covered the shore. Aknadin stopped dead, eyes widening as he looked over the blossoms that were scattered on the land. Some petals drifted away on a light breeze, dancing over the water before lightly touching down upon it.

At least Atemu had found a new home for himself, a place where he was obviously loved. That was the one thought that salved the pain of the loss.

Aknadin knelt on the ground, brushing a cautious finger over one of the flowers. But it never had to happen, any of this. All of this was a product of a series of misunderstandings and bad luck. It especially wasn't fair for the children; they had never known why they could never see their grandfather or grandmother. They had never known why none of their family would come to see them, or even recognize them.

Tears rolled down his face as he sat back to take in the scattered arrangement again. It was fitting in a way; better than the rest of his family had received. Atemu's parents were marked with a simple headstone in the church far outside the outskirts of Domino. His sister was in the opposite direction, marked with a decaying wooden cross. Atemu, although buried in a watery grave, got flowers to mark his passing and a day when the whole side of town seemed to stop.

Fitting for one they called Pharaoh.

And yet, this all could have been easily avoided. Aknadin covered his eyes with a hand and finally allowed the tears to flow, mourning for what was left of his family after years of searching.

"**Is that not the way with mortals?**" Aknadin sat up suddenly at the sound of the voice, shivering as nothing came to view. "**The most horrendous of deeds only occur because of a single misunderstanding. And, they often come with a copious waste of life.**"

"Who's there?" Aknadin scrambled to his feet, looking around wearily. He caught a glimpse of movement off to his right, something pushing from the trees. The figure moved out towards the open, but kept in the shadows. Aknadin was about to approach, but stopped when the figure flung out a dark hand.

"**We can talk just as well here. If you do not trust me now, I fear that you will not trust me at all.**"

"Who are you?"

"**Call me…a sympathizer, for now. I just want to help.**"

"Why?"

"**Oh, you are one of those stuck in the modern world where no one is trusted because everyone lies.**" The figure laughed, Aknadin getting a glimpse of red eyes. The laughter lingered even after the figure stopped, echoing eerily in the empty swamp. "**But I will not lie, at least, not to you. I mean what I say, I can help you.**"

"How?" Aknadin took another step forward only to be stopped by the figure with another motion.

"**Your brother is out of my reach, but I could bring back your nephew.**"

"Atemu…you could bring him back?"

The figure smiled, Aknadin too focused on his offer to notice how the expression resembled a leer. "**Yes…for a price.**"

"Anything!" Aknadin begged the figure, smiling when it nodded. "Anything to get them back."

"**Good.**"

* * *

The house was silent, too silent for Bakura, but he had no where else to go. He had run until he had literally fallen to his knees before dragging himself back to the house that had once held two other people. Now, only the memories remained, and those haunted him.

From his place sprawled out of the sofa, the fingers of his hand twitched, itching for him to get up and find something of Ryou's. Something that he could cling onto and ride this emotional storm out on. But he was too exhausted to do even that, nodding off where he lay on the dark blue couch.

At this moment, he refused to acknowledge the next day, part of him wishing that it would never come. As long as it stayed dark, he could convince himself that this was just a dream or a hallucination. He had been out all day because of Yami's death; he had to have consumed a good amount of alcohol for him to dream this up. Not even his own nightmares were this twisted.

He moaned and rolled over onto his stomach, burying his face into the cushions of the couch. He would _not_ cry over this, he couldn't. If he cried, that would mean that Ryou had meant something to him; that the British teen had gotten under his defenses. No one had managed to do that, which meant no one would. Bakura would _let_ people in; he would never allow them to find their own way in.

And he knew that he was lying to himself, and lying badly.

A door slammed somewhere in the upper regions of the house, but Bakura didn't move. He held his breath for a long moment before letting it out. Perhaps it was Ryou coming home from whatever he had been up to.

"Hello! Anyone?"

The voice went unheard by Bakura. The likelihood of the person being Ryou was about as equal as it being Yami. They were both gone, and never coming back.

The tempo of someone bounding down the stairs engraved the fact further into his mind, the feet of the person touching down in time to the only thought that raced around his head. They can never come back. They can never come back.

"Bakura!" His scream of frustration coincided with the person calling out his name. The person jumped at his outburst, quickly circling around to the front of the couch to crouch on the ground. Under the curious prodding of the person, Bakura moved his head, resting it on his arm so he could see.

Marik smiled back at him with that crazy expression that only Marik could conjure. The blonde teen gave a little wave before sitting back, his usually lavender shirt covered with a black sweatshirt; his defense against the cold. Bakura groaned, wanting to duck his head again, but Marik would just resume his poking. And the Egyptian knew it.

Dimming down the smile, Marik leaned back on his hands. "It's good to see you too, Bakura. Be careful, someone could think that you have feelings for me because of that enthusiastic greeting."

The smile totally disappeared when Marik got no response. Bakura just didn't have the energy to come up with his usual acerbic comment. Besides, that would have led them to a fight, in which they would try to draw Ryou over to one of their sides as a second line of defense. And then, Yami would step in and stop it. Of course, that was only before they started to destroy things.

He flinched at the memory, Marik not noticing as he began to talk, probably fishing for the usual argument. "It was weird today, no one was talking. And they kept _looking _at me, like kicked puppies. It was like they were sorry for me…or something. Confused the hell out of me."

When Bakura remained silent, Marik sat up, not playing around anymore. "What's going on here? It's late enough for you to be going on your rounds and yet, you're lying here. And don't tell me that Ryou and Yami are already asleep. Are they still at the casino? Do I need to go drag them out of that pathetic excuse for a boat and haul them back home?"

Bakura felt his eyes widen before he could stop them, turning his head to the side until he controlled the panic. One part of him still wanted to break down into sobs, but more of him wanted to punch Marik in the face for bringing up the memories. Bakura gave a sigh and sat up, officially calling the conversation to an end.

* * *

When he had started his questioning of Bakura, he hadn't expected the long silence that followed. True, he was fishing about for a way to be yelled at by the thief, a little put off balance that it hadn't happened. But it was the way that he and Bakura existed, amicably until one said something that set off the other.

He also didn't expect the long drawn out sigh that Bakura gave before sitting up.

Marik shifted so he could still look at the white haired thief, watching in confusion as Bakura studied his hands for a while. When the thief finally answered, Marik jumped at the sound of the hollow tone. "The _Baroness_ is gone, she sunk."

The old wreck, gone? "How did Yami take it? That place meant a lot to him."

"He went down with it."

"What? When was this?"

"Two years ago…today. And Ryou…"

Marik was suddenly afraid of what Bakura would say next. He hadn't expected to come home to this news. He hadn't expected Yami to be dead, the tri-color haired teen had always been around; a staple to Marik's life. Marik slumped, one arm flung back to rest against the coffee table behind him for support. "What happened to Ryou?"

"Car."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Marik shoved himself off the floor at the tone of Bakura's voice, wanting to get out of the room before the thief broke down. For once, he wanted to keep his delusions intact; Bakura was the coldhearted one of the group; the thief would never be touched by the rest of the world. He sprinted off down the hallway, nearly hitting the wall as he peered into Ryou's room. This could all be a sick joke by Bakura.

The room was untouched, with no one in it. Marik swallowed harshly, panic rising. He pushed away from the wall and took off for Yami's room, shouldering the door open before he could hit it.

Dust met his eyes. A fine layer of dust that covered the desk and some of the objects strewn on the floor. It shouldn't have been like this. Ryou would have intervened before he had let this happen. Unless it was being kept like this for a reason, the same reason that Marik was trying not to contemplate.

He stumbled back, violently slamming the door like he could erase what he had seen with the motion. One hand groped for the nearest wall, frantically looking for something to support himself with as he panting for air.

"Now do you believe me?" Marik spun, looking with wide eyes at Bakura as the thief stood outside the door of his own room.

Marik managed a nod, taking a shaky step forward. "But you…and Ryou…did…"

The thief apparently made sense of the words that tumbled from him without any real pattern. "Yes."

Marik stumbled to the doorway of his room as Bakura disappeared into the darkness of his own room. The Egyptian cast a glance back at the two empty rooms of the house, shivering before darting into his room and slamming the door.

He rested his back against the wood, eyes tightly shut as he tried to calm his racing breaths. It was no use telling himself that this was not possible. He was used to this kind of shock; but familiarity didn't make it any better. His older brother had been killed in an accident, hit by falling stones, and Marik had survived that. It was all a matter of stumbling through life until the pain gave way.

Marik moved from the door, sitting on the edge of his bed and staring at the floor. He still missed his older brother, even though his brother had been adopted into the family at a time when his mother and father worried that they would never have a male child. After all, males were the ones who inherited in his father's line of thought.

So Marik had been a loose end, but loved, for most of his life. He had grown up free to do what he wanted and with little interest in the family business. In fact, he knew little about what his father did; only that it had something to do with the artifacts that came from the tombs of the pharaohs. And he had run at the first chance possible, not wanting to give up the freedom he had become accustomed to.

And that's where he had found Yami, struggling to take care of himself and Ryou as he attempted to refurbish a broken down steamboat into a casino; the only real way of making money on this side of Domino. Marik had been drawn into the scheme if only for a way to hide from his family. And, when it was probably safe to leave, he had stayed because he had enjoyed the motley group that made his new family.

Sure, he still ducked out every once and a while to check up on his family. He loved his original family dearly still, but he didn't want to be forced into something that he didn't want to do. And he hoped that his mother and father understood his reasons.

At least, it seemed like they did, because they had sent him a gift for his birthday. It had been late, but it was the thought that counted. Besides, it was a sign that they forgave him for running off without any notice. If he was lucky, they would accept his choice and let him stay. He owed Yami that much.

Marik winced at his own thought, finding it too easy to slip into that mindset. He had to remember that Yami was gone; he couldn't try and repay the kindness that the teen had shown him when they were both struggling to make their way in the world. Marik flopped back, closing his eyes as fatigue tugged at him. There was nothing he could do except… He sat back up quickly, rubbing at his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up more.

What about the orphans up at the old church? They were Yami's pet project once he had gotten the _Baroness_ all fixed up. What would happen to them now? He was sure that the other casino owners would continue to support them, if nothing more than a way to remember Yami. But what about the children themselves?

He groaned and flopped backward again, all his energy gone with that line of thought. Glumly, Marik twisted until he could reach his pillows, curling up on top of the sheets. Mahad and Mana would probably look after them, he smothered a yawn. And he would go check in sometime, it was the least he could do.

* * *

_I'm sorry if Marik is OOC. I don't think I got him exactly right for this entire story. There are times when he seems too sane. To be honest, Marik wasn't going to appear at all, he just kinda snuck in at the last minute._

_Read and review. Criticism is greatly appreciated._


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. Everything else in between is mine.

**Warnings:** Some nasty name calling. Not actually that bad...but just putting this up here in case.

**

* * *

Chapter Four**

Yami plastered a fake smile on his face, waving as he watched Ryou race past, chasing after his sister. The smile died as soon as they were gone, Yami slumping back into the clouds that surrounded him and staring up at the stars. There was really not a time that he couldn't see the stars, the sun just changing the shade of blue that the sky displayed. He absently reached for his watch, stopping abruptly when he remembered. That was gone.

The sound of someone sitting down on a cloud next to him pulled him out of his silent contemplation of the stars. He didn't turn to look at the angel, guessing that they had taken this seat next to him because all the others were full. They probably didn't want him to even acknowledge their presence, because that would mean that they had to notice that he was there. It was easier for them and he was happy to keep up their little illusion. It would save him some harsh looks in the meantime.

"I heard you looked after Ryou after everything fell apart." Yami sat up abruptly at the soft voice, turning his head to look at Ryou's mother. She wasn't looking at him, but instead watching as her children romped around with a smile on her face. Yami studied her for a moment, noticing that she and Ryou looked a lot alike, another reason for Ryou's father to abandon him.

"And while I don't approve of some of the things you two did," she continued after a pause, "I want to thank you for taking care of my son when no one else would."

"It was nothing."

"No, it's not." Yami stiffened as she turned to look at him. "It means the world to me that Ryou was happy before he died. And it was all because of you. So, thank you."

Yami didn't respond, preferring to look at his boots. Ryou's mother seemed to follow his train of thought, sighing before laying a hand on his shoulder. "I know he died young, he told me."

"If I had been there…"

"You would have saved him. I've heard that you gave up your own life saving another boy." When Yami shot her a surprised look, she laughed. "Not all of the angels here look down upon you because of your clothes, your manner and the stories that have grown up around you; quite a few respect you but prefer to keep to themselves. This is their resting place, but your prison."

Yami gave a harsh laugh. "Yes, it is that. I've been in worse places, but this," he motioned around him, "is still the worst. Always has been."

Ryou's mother looked at him in confusion before seeming to brush the comment off. "Well, you were young when you died. You expected to be around a little longer, not stuck here with the rest of us."

Yami just nodded, not wanting to tell her that she had misinterpreted the statement. The two settled into amicable silence, something that Yami had not experienced for a long time, watching Ryou pin his sister to the ground and begin to tickle her. He smirked to himself and leaned back onto his hands. Here was the peace that seemed to never come to him. A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth. It was a glimpse of why the others enjoyed this.

He was about to close his eyes and lay down when a general murmur started around the angels. Yami snapped to attention, standing up as Ryou's sister came scurrying back to her mother, staring in amazement as the head angels filed in. Ryou followed his sister at a more sedate pace, looking curiously at the procession.

"Who are they?" The question was directed to Yami instead of his mother, a habit that was too old for the British teen to break right now.

"Head angels, in charge of everything around here. And if they've come down without calling a meeting, it can't be good news." Yami stepped closer to Ryou, moving into a position to protect him in case anything happened, while watching the angels. To his surprise, they split off individually to talk to certain angels instead of calling everyone to order. He tensed up at the breach in the monotony, glaring as Isis as she walked over to them. "What's going on?"

The dark skinned angel looked over her shoulder before turning worried blue eyes back to him. "Someone stole the book."

"So," Yami raised an eyebrow, "it just holds the records of who had died. Besides, if it's that important, it must have some kind of safeguard, like it's invisible to living people."

"It is." Isis bit her lip, glancing back over her shoulder again. Yami peered around her, scowling as he saw that the others in the group were talking to well known guardian angels. Isis cleared her throat, bringing his attention back to her. "The book will just be blank to those who are still alive, but not those who have been dead, or touched the border of death. You could have read it without any problems two years ago.

"But, the book also has the keys to unsealing things that have been locked away for years, things that should not be let loose on the world again." Her blue eyes suddenly darkened at a thought. "Things that you have seen, Atemu."

Yami froze, his mind creating images of the demon that rose from the lava. He wrapped his arms around himself, suddenly cold. Isis nodded, taking his shivers as a sign he knew what she was talking about before continuing. "And he can convince anyone to help him. He can read the book if he takes them over for long enough. He must have had someone up here to get the book for him, there's no way it would have disappeared from heaven otherwise."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"We need to send someone to find it."

"Don't tell us that you mean to present this one as your champion, Isis." Isis turned around, pulling Yami up to stand beside her as they faced down the angels that had gathered behind them as she had spoken.

Giving off a calmness that Yami knew she did not feel, Isis tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gave them all a serene smile. "You said that, if he could prove himself worthy of our trust, Atemu would be given the guardianship that he desires. You have been skipping over him for months now."

"Giving up his life for that kid barely got him into heaven, especially after the stunt he pulled." Yami glared at the angel, not backing down as he was obviously expected to. The angel stared at him in amazement for a moment before turning his gaze back to Isis. "You will have to convince us that he can be trusted."

Isis gave them a slow smile. "He is the only one out of all the ones chosen that knows the city where the book fell. Second, he has no person to guard, therefore, no restraints on his time. Besides, you know that they would have to be granted some semblance of life to accurately track the book, and none of your choices would be willing to do that."

The angels looked at each other, all scowling as they went over the evidence. The leader spoke up a few moments later. "Have it your way, Isis. We will send Atemu back down on two conditions. One, you must be able to contact him and _you_ will watch over him. Two, send his friend with him." A finger was leveled at Ryou, who squeaked and ducked behind Yami. "After all, that one's family is all here. Why would Atemu torment his 'little brother' by remaining on earth? Atemu will have to return to heaven for Ryou to ever return. Fair?"

"Yes." Yami looked over at Isis, flabbergasted that she would just agree like that. The other angels nodded before moving off, shooting him somber looks as they passed. Yami smoothed his face into a mask of confidence, while he seethed internally.

How could they do this to him? He had already passed judgment twice. Who were they to ask him to go through it a third time? Especially with that condition.

"Atemu, Ryou, follow me." Yami rubbed a hand over his face, slowly shaking his head. He motioned for Isis to lead Ryou away, turning toward Ryou's family with a sad smile on his face.

"Don't worry, I'll bring him back."

"What about you? Don't you have a reason to stay here? You have to have one." Ryou's mother was holding onto her daughter, like she would be taken away from her if she let go.

"No." Yami turned away, walking swiftly to catch up to Isis as she walked toward the gates. The taller angel looked back as Yami slid into place beside Ryou, a smile lighting up her face for the first time since she had approached him. Yami straightened up, a smile tugging at the corner of his own mouth. "So how will it be better if we go back alive?"

"The book isn't of earthly origins, so it will feel different from everything else; put out an aura if you wish to think of it like that. If we sent you down as angels, then you wouldn't feel it yourself because you would still be connected to heaven. You would find it, eventually, but it might be too late. I'm sorry; it's just how it has to be."

Yami shrugged, hoping to distract Isis from her pity, but the angel saw through him. "You know the dead must stay dead, Atemu. It will do you no good to linger over him."

He shot her a angry glare before toning the gaze down. "It's not that easy to give everything you love up. I thought you would understand that."

Isis paused by a cloud, sighing as she looked back at him. "I do, Atemu. I do."

She pushed through the cloud, Yami pulling Ryou behind him as the British teen stared after the angel's passage. The familiar tick of clocks met his ears as Yami emerged from the cloud. He could feel Ryou tense beside him, turning so he could watch the white haired teen's mouth drop open in wonder.

"Atemu," Isis held out her hand, a golden watch drifting from the collection and drifting toward them, "I believe you recognize this."

Yami held out his hand, smirking as the watch immediately shot into it, nestling gently into his palm. He spent a moment staring at the familiar engraving, running a thumb over the inverted pyramid shape and the Eye of Horus before running his fingers through the chain that was attached to the fob watch. He frowned as he encountered two tags, lifting he chain from where it dangled over the edge of his hand as Ryou leaned toward him to look.

"What is that?"

"It's my life." Yami chuckled as he opened the watch, showing the still face to Ryou. "It stops when you die."

The watch was snapped shut again, revealing the engraved surface. Ryou gasped and grabbed the watch, holding it close like the engraving would disappear if put into a different light. "But, I remember you have this after the accident with the car. You wore it everyday, even when you slept. If this watch is your life…"

Yami reached over and reclaimed the watch, pulling the two tags down the chain to present to Ryou. Isis looked up from where she was pacing the rows, intruding on their conversation. "Each watch is labeled with the cause of death."

"Wound from the impact of a car includes shattered ribs, which pierced a lung and a broken neck. Cause of death was drowning due to unconsciousness when hitting the water." Ryou read the tag out loud, his voice pitching higher as he neared the end. He looked up at Yami, eyes wide. When Yami did nothing but shrug, Ryou looked down at the next tag. "Cause of death: heart failure."

Yami could see that Ryou was getting ready to comment, but was stopped by the appearance of his own watch, a golden fob watch like Yami's. Yami leaned over as Ryou grabbed the watch out of the air, the two of them looking at the almost dream catcher-like shape on the front, the triangle in the middle of the ring holding the same Eye of Horus design as Yami's inverted pyramid shape. The watch, like Yami's had originally, dangled from a simple leather cord.

Isis walked back over, pulling the tags from the cord and the chain before motioning for the two teens to put the watches on. "I'll contact you through the watches when I can. But I feel I can trust you enough not to have to speak to you every day. Now," she held out a hand, "your halos please."

Yami nearly ripped his from the air above his head, quickly placing the metal in the outstretched hand. He pitched forward as the wings disappeared from his back, remembering at the last minute before he fell how to balance without them. Beside him, Ryou actually did fall. Yami knelt down to help his friend up, trying not to flinch under the accusing glare. He would have a lot of explaining to do once they got away from Isis.

His hand drifted to the winding mechanism, looking at Isis for her approval. The nod was faint, but enough for him to break out in a smile as he got a better grip on his watch. He began to spin the bulb, looking over at Ryou as he hesitantly followed Yami's lead. "See you on the other side."

The watch in his hand began to thrum, light pouring out from inside it. He flashed a smile at Ryou before he was thrown backwards, shutting his eyes against the now familiar colors as he was sent flying back to earth. He only had a moment to remember where his body was before he slammed back into it.

Pain ran up and down his limbs, making it impossible for him to move. His mind screamed that he had to get out of there. He blearily opened his eyes, searching the hull around him for the hole as he twisted in pain. Before he could find the exit, he was overcome with pain, curling in on himself as skin and muscle where grown again. When the itching sensation finally stopped, he was able to relax.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the hole, swimming quickly for it. In his chest, he began to feel the hesitant beat of his heart as it started up again, soon throbbing in pain as the muscle began to pump blood at the normal rate; something it had not done for two years. His lungs began to burn from lack of air, his supply of oxygen long since dissipated. Just when he thought he was about to pass out, Yami broke the surface, drawing in a huge lungful of air before looking around.

He quickly turned toward shore, the new muscles shaking as he put them to the test. He began to shiver, the crisp air not helping his saturated condition. Yami groaned, wishing the shore was closer or that the boardwalk was still in place. Everything was beginning to feel numb when the water became shallow enough to stand.

Yami stumbled onto the shore, casting one look at the line of flowers before stepping onto the road and stumbling up it a ways. He caught a glimpse of Ryou staggering from the woods, holding onto one of his sides. Then, exhaustion hit him, sending him to his knees with a gasp before he fell face first onto the dirt road. He was conscious enough to move the watch closer to his body before his drifted into the beckoning blackness.

* * *

Noa leaned against the side of the building, keeping to the shadows. He tapped a few fingers against his arms as he waited for Weevil to come out of the bar. He gave a low growl. It wouldn't be smart to go in there since everyone knew he had died, but he wasn't quite ready to trust his former lackey. He leaned his head back against the wall with a groan before pushing off and walking into the darkened smoky interior.

He blinked to clear his eyes, coughing as he pushed his way through the crowd. There was once a time when he could have dealt with this but, apparently, his immunity had disappeared when he had been resurrected. He shuddered and shouldered his way deeper into the crowd, glaring at the people who glanced his way.

Weevil was secreted away into a corner, talking to a few people. The small man glanced up at Noa with fear in his eyes before hurrying through his discussion and dismissing the few people. He scrambled over to Noa, whimpering as his employer glared at him. "Wouldn't it be safer outside, boss?"

"Nonsense. The people in here are too drunk or too blind to notice anything." Noa carefully guided Weevil through the crowd, edging toward the door. "What does matter is that you keep looking for that book."

Weevil nodded and slipped back off into the crowd. Noa smirked after his employee before storming back outside. Weevil would find him somehow. The little worm knew that Noa was his only protection, the little man jumpy for some reason.

He stepped out into the sun, taking a deep breath of air and enjoying it for the moment before turning, intending to find a place where he could hide for the rest of the day or until they found a better base.

His motion was brought to an abrupt stop as he came face to face with a man. Noa took a step back, confused by the blank blue eyes, black hair and neat business suit. He was almost frightened that it was someone sent by one of the other casino owners who had somehow discovered that he was alive again. The thought was immediately tossed away. There was no way they could have known that.

"**Noa.**" The man's voice had a strange echoing quality. The aqua haired teen rapidly stepped back, looking around to see if any of his enemies were around. He relaxed as there was no one around.

"You must have the wrong person."

"**I would know the angel who begged for life anywhere.**" Now that the man was closer he could see the red that ran through the man's eyes. "**You** **promised to help me in exchange for me giving you your life back.**"

Noa relaxed fully then, eyeing the man as he recognized the echo as the familiar growl of the creature he had been in contact with. He gave the man a critical once over. "Who is he then?"

"**No one important.**" A hand was waved. "**He promised to help me if I returned the favor. For now, he serves as my puppet, of his own will.**"

Noa bristled at the implication that he would need watching before turning and slipping into the shadows, tensing as he felt the man follow him. "Do you intend to follow me around? It would be very conspicuous."

"**You are working to get the book, but you must work harder.**"

"It's barely been one day. What are you worried about?"

Noa gasped as the man pushed him against a building, hand easily encircling his neck. The aqua haired teen flailed a bit as the man leaned in, blue eyes became streaked with more red. "**You have a limited amount of time before they make their move. You have to get a lead on the angels that they will send or know where they all at all times. Do you understand?**"

He was pushed away, left gasping on the ground as the man strolled away. Noa stood up, stiffening as the man shot a last look at him, and implied 'I'll be watching you' in the gaze. He growled to himself and brushed the dirt of his clothes before shoving his hands in his pockets and stalking back through the shadows.

There was bound to be an abandoned warehouse that he could spend his days in, waiting for Weevil to report back. He paused for a moment before turning to head toward the docks. His best chance lay there. It was far enough away from this side of Domino; safer for him in the end.

And, better yet, the creepy man that the voice had commandeered to be its body wouldn't know where to find him. Noa scowled to himself at the thought and shivered. How anyone would agree to that was beyond him. What was worth so much that you would give up control of your body?

* * *

Ryou woke up with a groan, standing up and stretching his sore back. He shook his head, stopping the motion suddenly as something bumped against his chest. The British teen looked down, staring at the golden watch that hung around his neck. There was something important about it, something that his mind refused to grasp at the moment.

He lifted it up to eye level, turning it in the afternoon light. Briefly, his thumb skimmed over the engraving before he snapped the watch open, eyes widening as he listened to the watch tick in time with his heart. Ryou snapped the watch shut as he heard a groan.

On the road, he saw another person stirring, slowly clambering to their feet. Ryou took a step back, memories gently flowing back into his mind at the sharp prick of pain in his back.

He had been killed and sent to heaven. And he had come back, with Yami, to retrieve something important…a book. Ryou glanced back down at the watch that hung around his neck. The watch was his life. A similar watch had been given to Yami. The same watch Ryou had seen his friend with after the car incident.

The exact same…

"You died that night." Yami glanced up, seemingly confused by the abrupt accusation. Ryou ignored the look and stomped over, reaching for the watch that hung around his friend's neck only to have it snatched away at the last minute. He let his hand drop back to his side, trembling in an effort not to yell. "You never told me!"

"What was I supposed to say?" Yami winced as he brushed himself off, limping away from Ryou for a few strides before he settled into his normal walk. "You already thought I was a ghost. What would your reaction have been if I had told you the truth? Besides, it didn't matter by then."

"It _did_ matter." Ryou jogged to catch up with Yami, placing one hand on his friend's shoulder to turn Yami to face him. "I thought you were dead and I would be next. It nearly destroyed me that night. And, when you really did die, it hurt me then too."

"How was I supposed to tell you, Ryou?!" Yami rounded on him, glaring at him before shaking his head and lowering his gaze. "I didn't know I was going to die. I didn't even know if I could get back, but I did because I thought you still needed me. And I would have given it all up, even if I had known then that you didn't need me."

"What?"

"You're strong, Ryou. You just never notice it because you allow yourself to be overshadowed by Bakura and I." Yami chuckled, the sound erasing some of Ryou's anger. "And I've known it for a while. You can thank Mahad for that. But I wasn't ready to let you go, because you were the only family that I had and my only friend."

"But, Yugi-"

"Yugi is different." Ryou's heart warmed to see Yami dismiss the younger teen in that manner, knowing that his friend had not meant it that way. Yami rubbed a hand over his face, the other gently holding the watch.

"I condemned myself the day I came back, Ryou. I stole this watch and gave myself my life back. I spent the nights I was alive peeking into hell. And, the horrible thing is, I still don't regret it."

Ryou took a horrified step back, watching as Yami started backing away, the tri-color haired teen opening his arms in a shrug. "Why do you think the other angels avoid me? I've seen things that no one in heaven is supposed to see and I don't regret that actions that brought me there."

He hurried to catch up with Yami, falling into step with his friend as Yami turned back around. Thousands of questions raced through his mind, most being forgotten almost as quickly as they appeared. Ryou looked down at his feet, unable to voice what he really wanted to say. He shrugged, more to himself than to what Yami had said before sighing. "What now, Yami?"

"We find somewhere to stay before we go out looking." Yami had already started down the road toward their old house, striding along at a fast pace. "Isis will contact us when she can but, in the meantime, let's get this over with so you can go back to your family."

Ryou shook his head, a motion that Yami caught and glared at him, tensing as Ryou opened his mouth to speak. "I don't want to have you punished as well, Ryou! Let's just get his over with before I start doing things I regret!"

"We can't go back."

"Ryou..." It was a growl this time.

He still shook his head, grabbing a hold of Yami's arm and clinging on as his friend tried to pull away. "Bakura knows that you're dead and, if somebody took me off the road, they know I'm dead too. The word will have spread by now. We can't go back to our home, or anywhere on this side of the river."

"Then where should we go? We can't just wander around and hope to survive. These are our real bodies!"

Ryou nodded and let go of Yami's arm so his friend could cross them in his irritation. Yami was right about that, they needed a stable place to recover from any after effects of their return. But it was too late to try and reintegrate themselves into the society on this side of the river. Yami had been dead for two years and Ryou's demise had time to spread, this time through respectable sources. Nobody would believe them. Nobody except…

"Yugi."

Yami's eyes widened at the mention of the name. He lost control of his mask for a moment, allow Ryou to see the gambit of emotions that ran through his friend before the mask slipped back on. "No."

"It's our only choice."

"No."

"He won't believe that you're dead and he's never heard about me."

"No, Ryou!" Yami slumped after his outburst.

"Well, you don't get to make this decision, Atemu." Yami looked up at the sudden drop of his nickname, hurt flashing through his eyes as Ryou tried to look over his friend. "This is mine since it's my afterlife on the line. I say, we go to Yugi's."

Yami dropped his eyes to the ground, letting Ryou take the lead as they walked out of the swamp. The white haired teen glanced back at his friend, not knowing what to make of Yami's sudden submission. After all, he thought that Yami would have been overjoyed to go and see his pet again.

Ryou winced at the biting tone of the thought. He would have to be more welcoming to Yugi now. They were relying on the teen's hospitality to survive this mission at all. And, in the end, it wasn't Yugi's fault for what had happened, if Ryou allowed himself to dwell on it. Yami had said that he trusted Ryou to take care of himself, but there was the childish impulse to keep Yami to himself.

But Yami had said that Yugi wasn't important.

Ryou brightened at the thought, his stride gaining and extra bounce. Maybe it would turn out alright now. It would be easy to find the book and get back to paradise. Even Yami agreed that they had to move fast. He smiled, heading for one of the bridges that would lead into Domino.

How long could it take to find a book?

* * *

Yugi waved good-bye to Tèa as they separated, his own house about half a mile more down the road. She returned his smile and wave before turning to head down her own street. Per usual, Yugi stood where he was until he saw that she had made it to her front porch safely before shouldering his backpack and moving off.

His friends thought it hinted at a crush and teased him mercilessly about it. And Yugi took it all in stride. Although, he thought it was unfair to Tèa because he thought that she really _did _have a crush on him. Yugi smiled to himself and shook his head, flicking a bang out of his eyes as he did so.

He knew he should probably stop them before things went too far and his guess was proved right. But he just didn't quite know how to tell them about his experiences. They knew that he had been kidnapped and held against his will for a year and a half; to which they would praise his resilience.

But how could he tell them about Yami? Tristan and Joey seemed nervous at the mere mention of homosexual relationships. And Joey was more inclined to distrust anyone from the other side of the river, because they had tried to hurt 'his best buddy'. Tèa was the one who seemed the most receptive to the idea, but then the issue of the crush came up again.

And truthfully, if he had never met Yami, Yugi would have been happy to let Tèa fall in love with him. Underneath the almost cheerleader mentality, there was a strong woman, if you got to know her. And Yugi appreciated that about her. She was always there for him when the other guys wouldn't understand.

But Yami just _felt _right.

It was hard to explain, even to himself; something that he was afraid even Tèa wouldn't understand.

When he was around Yami, everything seemed right and natural, like he was more free to be the person he remembered from his youth and not the way everyone else saw him. But this was unfair to his new friends, because they treated him just as well as Yami had. But unlike Yami, they were prone to treating him like he was made of glass because of his experiences on the other side of the river.

Yugi sighed and ran a hand through his hair, confused by his thoughts that raced around in circles. He was almost certain he was in love with Yami, more than the gratitude for his rescuer. But it had been so long since they had talked last.

Yugi rubbed his arms, really hoping that it hadn't been infatuation, because he had enjoyed his time with Yami. Enjoyed the more tactile approach to interacting they had taken. And he didn't want Yami to come back and discover that everything they had once had was now awkward.

If Yami came back.

Yugi shuddered at the thought, shaking his head to clear it. Of course Yami would come back; he promised he would. And he trusted Yami with his life. Resolute, Yugi nodded to himself. Yami _would_ come back, and they could figure out the rest then.

A smile finally broke across his face, relieved that he had sorted out the thoughts that had been bothering him so far. Yugi sped up a bit, wanting to get home and help out his grandfather in the shop before submitting himself to piles of homework he had managed to gather.

He bounced cheerfully on the balls of his feet as he waited at the corner for the signal to cross the street, easily meshing into the crowd as the green man finally lit up. Yugi started humming to himself, a tuneless little number, but something to do as he walked along. The humming stopped as a hand landed on his shoulder, roughly guiding him into the nearest alleyway.

Yugi turned around swiftly as soon as the hand lifted from his shoulder, the offensive position he had adopted dropping at the first glance at the person who had led him here. The teenager was taller than he was, looming over him in a way that reminded him of Ushio from his days under Noa's control. Under the influence of the memory, he froze.

The teenager swung, sending him reeling back into the wall. Yugi coughed weakly and stood up, looking for a way out. He was smart enough to know when to run, that often becoming his only defense against those who were bigger than him. Unfortunately, the teenager wasn't leaving him a way out.

Yugi ducked the next punch thrown at him, but was pushed back against the wall of the alley as the teenager kneed him in the stomach. He wrapped his arms around his throbbing middle, trying to catch his breath as the teenager laughed. "I heard that you had been on the other side of the river. I doubt that you could have survived, unless you worked for your protection."

There was something in the manner the teenager said it, the way the words seemed to slide out sneakily and sideways, that made Yugi stiffen where he stood. He peeked out from under his bangs, shivering at the leer that the teenager gave him.

He pressed back against the wall as the teenager leaned over him, hissing in his ear in a way that made Yugi tremble in disgust. "Was that it? Were you some casino's little whore?"

Yugi gave a low growl and shoved the teenager away, darting to one side as his attacker stumbled backward. Yugi had a heady moment of freedom before he was yanked backwards, his head whacking against the wall on this collision. His vision blurred for a moment, only showing him splotches of color before the world righted itself. He blinked rapidly, vision clearing only to show him the teenager with a pocketknife calmly sitting in his hand.

"You shouldn't have done that, kid." The knife was flipped, Yugi watching the blade rise and fall with horrid fascination. "I was willing to give you a chance, something others wouldn't give to scum like you."

The nonchalant tossing of the blade ceased as the teenager brought it close to Yugi's neck. "And now you will pay for that. Unless, there is something you are willing to offer in return for your life."

Yugi bit his lip as the teenager tightened his grip on Yugi's shoulder, viciously swallowing the whimper that threatened to come up. He wasn't that weak, he could fight for himself…if he had a plan. His eyes closed as he frantically worked for a plan that would let him escape.

When Yugi closed his eyes, the teenager shook him hard, making his head bump against the wall again. "No. I want you to watch this, whore. I want you to see what happens when scum like you cross to this side of Domino."

The hand holding the knife started to move closer to his throat, Yugi feeling the blade beginning to press against his skin. Then, someone caught hold of the teenager's arm, the hand clamping down around the forearm and forcibly drawing the arm back.

From the shadows behind Yugi's attacker, a voice growled out, "You will not harm my aibou."

* * *

_Read and review please. Criticism is always welcome._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. Everything else in between is mine.

**

* * *

Chapter Five**

Yami ducked to one side as the knife was turned his way, Yugi's attacker glaring at him. Yami stumbled up against the opposite wall, dropping to one knee as the larger teen tried to attack him again. He glanced over at Ryou, who was still waiting at the mouth of the alley. He threw himself to one side, rolling on the ground as the teenager came at him again. "Ryou, get Yugi out of here!"

The white haired teen darted in, grabbing Yugi's arm and pulling him out into the fading daylight as Yami attempted to lure the blundering teen back further into the alley. The ploy didn't work, as the teen followed his escaped victim with angry eyes. "And you would let scum like him go!"

Yami froze halfway through his escape, gritting his teeth to stop a curse from escaping him as he turned around. He smirked as the teenager stumbled back under his glare, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. He backed the teenager down the alleyway, smiling as the larger teen whimpered as he hit a dead end.

He leaned close, poking a finger into the teen's chest. "You will not insult my aibou in my presence if you want to live. Are we clear?"

The teen gave another frightened whimper, which Yami accepted as a yes. He turned around, intending to stalk off and find Ryou and Yugi went he felt pain lance across his shoulder. Yami turned around and lashed out with a leg, catching the teenager in the back of the knee and sending him tumbling to the ground.

Yami ignored the downed teen, reaching up to touch his right shoulder, feeling something sticky leaking from his skin. He pulled the hand away as he walked up the alleyway, hissing at the sight of blood on his hand. Here was the reminder that they were not invincible. Ryou would be giving him a talking to later.

He quickly hid the bloodied hand behind his back as he emerged from the alleyway, the ploy not working as Ryou's eyes went straight to the wound and widened. Yugi stopped mid step, obviously intending to hug Yami, when he too saw the knife wound. The action of the smaller teen was immediately changed, one hand reaching out for Yami and beginning to haul him in one direction.

"Come on, my house isn't too far from here." Yami gave up the idea of struggle at the look that Ryou shot him. He would definitely be earning that lecture later. Instead of gaining one from Yugi, Yami meekly bowed his head and allowed himself to be lead along.

To ignore the pain in his shoulder, Yami focused the feeling of Yugi's hand in his, where it belonged. He offered a small smile to the teenager, disappointed that Yugi was too busy rushing him to his home to pay attention to him. Hopefully that would pass soon. Yami found himself eagerly awaiting the first glimpse of Yugi's smile.

He bit his lip to smother a whimper as Yugi yanked him around a corner, the smaller teen immediately apologizing for the swift motion before he was off again. Yami barely had time to assure Yugi that he was fine before he was forced to stop at a glass door. He tilted his head back, getting a look at the green roof with the word GAME spelled out in pink lights before he was dragged into the store.

"Grandpa, I'm home!" An old man walked out of the storeroom at Yugi's shout, his plum colored eyes sparkling with relief. Yugi let go of Yami's hand to dutifully trudge over and accept a hug from his grandfather before returning to Yami's side.

"You're late, Yugi. Any more trouble?"

Yami found himself being towed up to the counter as Yugi moved to talk to his grandfather. "Just a bit, but Yami helped me out."

Yami tensed at the reaction to his name. Yugi's grandfather froze and gave him a hard glare, the gaze relaxing only when Yugi looked his way. The smaller teen gave his grandfather a smile before beckoning Ryou over. "These are two of the people who kept me safe from Noa, grandpa; Yami and Ryou."

"And what are they doing here?" Yami returned the glare this time, aware that Yugi's grandfather was referencing their origins in the bad part of town. Yugi obviously noticed the implication too, because he scowled.

"They're the ones that helped me, grandpa, not kept me away."

"They should have brought you home sooner. You wouldn't have gotten sick if they had." Yami winced at that, dropping his gaze. Yugi's grandfather was right about that. If he hadn't been so selfish and wanted to keep Yugi to himself…

"Stop it! It was my choice to stay longer anyway. I wanted a little while to say good-bye to everyone that had helped me." Yugi stepped away from the counter, wrapping Yami's arm around him like a type of shield. Yami saw the older man's eyes widen at this move, the elderly man shifting like he would rip Yugi away from Yami. Yugi tensed up at the movement, pressing closer to Yami. "It's not their fault, grandpa."

The elderly man sighed, defeated for now. Yugi took his victory without comment, pulling lightly on Yami's arm to have the teen follow him. As Yami left the shop, he caught the look that Yugi's grandfather shot at him. There would be words between them later.

Yami quickly turned back around and allowed Yugi to lead him up the stairs that led to the rest of the house, being yanked quickly through the living room to the upstairs and into the bedroom. There, he was ordered to stay in place as Yugi scurried away to get the first aide kit.

Yami took the chance to look around the room, tilting his head back at first to look at the skylight in the slanted roof. His eyes traveled down the blue walls, nothing hung up on the surfaces to lend the room any personality. The bed sat against one wall, sheets in a darker blue than the walls and across from the closet, where a few games leaked out. Yami turned his gaze to the desk beside the bed, the surface liberally littered with papers and a few pictures. It was the glint of gold that caught his attention.

He stood up, walking the one step over to where the crown lay and picked it up, a smile breaking across his face as he looked at it. He nearly dropped the plastic object as Yugi bounded back into the room, stopping as he looked at what Yami held. Yami smiled sheepishly, absently fiddling with the crown in his hands. "So, you kept this old thing?"

"Of course." Yugi shyly placed the kit on his bed before walking over to run a finger over the plastic crown. "You gave it to me."

He stared at the crown for a moment before placing it on Yugi's head, bending down a bit to settle some of Yugi's bangs behind the swept back sides. The simple act turned into a caress, Yugi's eyes flickering closed as he leaned into the action. Yami sighed, leaning forward to press his forehead against Yugi's, not caring that the raised eye of the crown was being pressed into his forehead.

Purple eyes opened up to look into crimson as Yugi stared up at Yami. "What took you so long?"

"I'm back now." Yugi pulled away with a nod and a watery smile, managing to stay away for a full minute before he threw himself back at Yami, pulling the teen into a tight hug. Yami dropped to the floor, thrown off balance by the sudden move. He recovered by pulling Yugi onto his lap and cuddling him, burying his face in Yugi's hair.

They both enjoyed the moment of perfect calm before Yugi pulled away, reaching for the first aide kit. "I'd better take care of that now."

Yami nodded and sat back, watching Yugi go about his work with the smile still stuck on his face. He had forgotten, if that were possible, how much he enjoyed being in Yugi's presence. The smaller teen didn't have to say a word, just walk into the room, and it was enough for Yami. It was a wonder that Yugi didn't have any more people flocking after him. As it was, too few could truly see who Yugi was behind the shy exterior.

He flinched a bit as Yugi cleaned the wound, partially listening to his running commentary on what he was doing at the moment. Yami just let himself relax, knowing that his happy bubble would be burst too soon. But it was worth it for a moment bathing in Yugi's presence.

He caught Yugi's hand as the teen passed by to put away the first aide kit, placing a kiss to the back of it that stopped Yugi in his tracks. Yami smiled up at him, letting his mask slip. "I meant what I said in the hospital. Everything."

Yami laughed as Yugi scrunched up his face as he tried to remember specifics from two years ago. "All I remember is that you demanded a rematch with me."

He laughed along with Yugi, his own laughter less free that the smaller teen's. Of course Yugi didn't remember all of what he had said; Yugi had been asleep for parts of his confession. It hurt a little that Yugi hadn't heard all he had said, but Yami blamed himself. He had never thought he would be able to come back.

And it would be smart not to bring the subject back up again, because he wouldn't be here for much longer.

Yami startled when Yugi settled back in his lap, running his finger's over Yami's face as he stared at the teen. Yami found he couldn't look away from Yugi, even when the smaller teen leaned in to plant a soft kiss on his lips. Yugi pulled back, dropping a hand to hold onto Yami's. "And I meant everything I said to you."

Unable to respond, Yami just pulled Yugi into a tighter hug, feeling his heart start to break already. Yugi had told him all he needed to know. Yugi still loved him, which would just hurt all the more in the end. Because he would still have to go back to heaven and leave Yugi behind.

* * *

Solomon Mutou sat calmly on the chair as Yugi rushed into the kitchen, smiling at his grandson. When Yugi had left the room, he turned to look at the two boys that Yugi had brought with him that afternoon. He recognized the quieter one as the teenager who had come to tell him that Yugi was in trouble. The scowl that had been creeping across his face softened toward the boy, accepting him already.

It was the other that worried him. His eye narrowed as he studied the other boy, an almost carbon copy of his grandson; except for the three streaks of blonde hair that stood out against his black hair and the red eyes. Solomon crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, looking pointedly at the teenager's choice of dark, skintight clothing, skipping over the gold fob watch that hung around his neck.

To his surprise, the teen chuckled, relaxing a bit before wincing and shifting his shoulder. The white bandage stood out starkly against the black sleeveless shirt that the teenager still wore, despite the rip in it. The teen leaned forward a bit. "It's all about how others perceive you. If you act tough and dress to their standards, then you're safe. I guess it just became a habit after doing this for so long."

"Why? There are places here that you could have turned to."

The teen jerked forward, like he was about to get up, but just rocked back to sit further back on the sofa. The white haired teen rested a hand on his friend's shoulder. There was sympathy in the gaze, something that told Solomon that he had drastically miscalculated.

"No." The word was spoken after a moment of looking at his hands. The teen looked up again, the red eyes forced into looking cold and calm. "Not if I wanted to be treated like a human. I just did the best I could over there, mostly for others. If you want to judge, take a look at those you get from the other side of the river, and watch how they are treated. You can't help us from here."

Solomon looked nervously away, knowing that he had over stepped a line. He looked back to the kitchen, where the sounds of Yugi struggling to cook dinner were heard. He sighed and dropped his eyes. "I'm just worried about my grandson."

"I…" Solomon looked up to see the teen obviously searching for words. He finally shook his head. "I understand." The teen had shifted forward again, trying to catch Solomon's gaze. "After all, he is your only grandson and a special kid."

"I'm not a kid!"

The teenager leaned back, laughing as Yugi appeared in the doorway. Solomon turned, surprised to see a smile playing across Yugi's face. Usually, Yugi would take that as an insult and become quiet and solemn. Instead, he was close to laughing it off. Solomon glanced over at the teen in time to see a quick smirk. "Of course you're not, little one."

A spoon was pointed at the teenager. "I'm almost as tall as you."

"Almost is the key word, aibou." The teenager laughed, jumping off the sofa as Yugi ran for him, tackling him easily to the ground. Solomon sat back, eyes sparkling with repressed mirth as he watched Yugi wrestle the taller teenager to the ground, threatening him with the spoon. "I concede, aibou. But shouldn't you be watching dinner. You know that Ryou will complain if the food is less than satisfactory."

Yugi squeaked and rushed back into the kitchen, the taller teen laughing on the floor despite the glare he got from his white haired friend.

Solomon stared after his grandson, wondering why he never saw the more playful side anymore. It had almost reminded him of the younger Yugi, the one who loved games with all his heart; the cheerful and playful Yugi instead of the quiet Yugi who was content to sit in the background. He glanced over at the two guests, relaxing the rest of his guard. If they brought out this side of Yugi and if they had protected him at the cost of their own lives, then they were alright with him, no matter where they had come from.

"So, I was never told your names when you were rushed in here. Or how you got that wound?"

"I'm Yami and this is Ryou." The taller teen's hand went up to his shoulder before dropping back down to brush over the surface of the watch. He gave a sheepish smile. "We were coming around to see Yugi when we saw him being menaced by a thug, so I took care of it. But I guess I'm getting slow."

"You've always been slow, Yami! It's a part of old age!" Yugi shouted the phrase from the kitchen, the last part followed quickly by a hiss. Yami shifted on the sofa, like he was restraining himself from going in to check on the smaller teen, his own retort to the slight lost in the worried look on his face.

"Careful, aibou."

Yugi summoned them into the kitchen before Solomon could ask another question; Yami and Ryou standing and walking into the kitchen. Solomon stopped Yami as he passed, looking up at the teen as he shifted nervously. "Will you be staying the night? You can't possibly walk safely back across the river."

As soon as he had said it, he realized how silly it sounded. These were teenagers who had survived the bad side of Domino for most of their life, if he could trust what they were saying. Nothing that the proper side of Domino could throw at them would faze them.

Yami smiled, turning slightly to face the elderly man. "Thank you. And I was wondering if we could impose on your hospitality until we find this…thing that we are looking for."

Against his better judgment, Solomon nodded, holding up a finger to silence Yami. "As long as you help around the house."

Yami broke into a smile, and waved at the retreating back of Ryou. "I'm sure that Ryou would be willing to take over cooking duties."

The white haired teen made a noise of distress, which Yami laughed at as he pushed him into the kitchen, Solomon shaking his head at the antics of the teenagers.

* * *

Aknadin leaned against the railing of the pier, looking out over the ocean. He could feel the thing in his head on high alert, seeming to scan the area around him. Aknadin shifted nervously, part of him wanting to call off the deal and expel the invader to his body.

"**But you want your family back.**" Aknadin winced and the assured tone that the voice used, easily imagining it to be preening. It knew it had him, and that was the worst part. And he wasn't quite able to let go of this slim chance.

The need to find his brother had started after he had lost his fiancée to a freak accident. His mother and father had been dead for a few years, long enough to allow for him to contact his younger brother on a regular basis. And, lacking any other relatives who understood the real reason why his younger brother was disowned, Aknadin had searched for the only real family he had left.

He would never be accepted by the rest of his family because he had always sympathized with his younger brother, and he hadn't been subtle in his searches. Aknadin scrubbed his hands over his face, suppressing a moan.

He was thrown out of his thoughts as the creature that now shared his mind stiffened, mentally sending out alarm. Aknadin spun around, frantically searching the rows of containers behind him for the source of the alarm. He froze as he creature smiled mentally, seeming to purr for a moment. "**They have made their move.**"

"What?"

"**My enemies have countered me. They have sent their own champions and…oh this will be interesting.**" Aknadin began to walk under the order of the creature, heading for a specific warehouse. He was beginning to get used to this, the callous way his body was stolen for the use of the creature and he way he was able to just watch as he was forced to go places. "**They sent inexperienced angels and let them return to a mortal life. Intelligence is rare for them.**"

Aknadin shivered at the mention of angels, mentally whimpering at the implications. He had just sold his soul to the devil. But he had known that, possibly, from the start. There was no way that any other supernatural creature would have been willing to help him get his nephew back from the dead. And definitely no angelic creature would have asked for such a price.

The voice in his head seemed to take joy from his revulsion, laughing mentally as it continued to steer his body along the docks. "Who did they send?"

"**They sent Ryou and Atemu.**"

"Atemu!"

"**Yes, it seems that they forgave him for a certain act. At least enough to send him back down. There is no other way they would allow him that close to the watch again. No matter, he will come to us.**" Aknadin felt himself come to a stop in front of a door, his hand shoving it open with no prior instruction from himself. He let himself be pushed more toward the back of his mind by the creature, just lingering over the news.

So his nephew was back on earth, but he trusted the creature to tell the truth concerning this because it involved its host. But the rest of what the creature said was nonsense to him. It was enough to know that his nephew was alive again. That meant he would only have to put up with this creature until he helped it with whatever it wanted.

"**Noa!**" Aknadin perked up as the creature spoke, the word echoing around the warehouse. It was odd to hear a voice so unlike his own booming out from his body. The aqua haired teen that they had run into earlier in the day jumped up from the place where he had been calmly lounging in between crates.

"Master." The word didn't seem to suit the teen because his face moved oddly as he said it. The creature growled, ceasing any more thought for the teen. Noa shook it off and walked over. "I was not expecting you here."

"**I have need of you, Noa. They have discovered that the book is missing and sent angels to retrieve it.**"

"Well, what do you want me to do? I can't be seen because everyone knows I am dead!"

The creature snarled, holding up one of Aknadin's hands in a fist as it advanced. "**You are mortal again. You will be able to sense the book as well as the two that heaven has sent. You **_**will**_** go out there and search for it. I have neither the time nor the patience for your methods.**"

"I…" Noa looked away to one side, hands clenching at his side before he relaxed. "I'll get on that. Do I at least get to know who they have sent after me?"

"**Dear friends of yours, Atemu and his hanger on.**"

Aknadin was frightened by the smile and chuckle that escaped from the teen, wanting to back away as Noa's blue eyes sudden sparkled with interest. "And I know where Atemu will go, right to his little pet. It will be easy to find him and pay him back for what he did to me."

"**No, I have promised that Atemu would live.**" Aknadin relaxed as Noa slumped, the fear for his nephew's life dissipating. What could Atemu have done to inspire such hatred in another teen? "**But Ryou you can do whatever you wish with. Even his little pet. As long as that book becomes mine.**"

"Right away, boss." Noa didn't seem to mind the title this time, happily wandering out the door and out of the warehouse to start his search. Aknadin found himself back in control of his body as he turned to follow the boy's progress with his eyes.

"**Don't worry about your nephew, Aknadin. He will be fine so long as you do what I say.**"

"But the others…they can't be older than Atemu."

The creature gave a mental shrug. "**They knew what they were getting into when they fell in with him.**"

There was a telling growl at the end of that sentence, a command to stop talking. Aknadin stumbled to one of the crates, sitting down on it and burying his head in his hands. He didn't want the death of other kids weighing on his shoulders. He didn't want to get caught in this game between these two powers, especially with his nephew on the other side.

"Can I see him?"

"**I could care less. But I would not talk of our plans.**" Aknadin nodded, even though the creature would never see it.

* * *

Yugi sat back with a smile as Yami continued to laugh over his description of his new school, hugging his knees close to his chest and rocking back to lean against his wall. Yami followed him, scooting further up onto the bed and attempting to curl around Yugi. "Sounds like you have some good friends, aibou."

"Some of the best. But," Yugi shifted forward to let Yami slide in behind him, leaning backward into Yami's chest and sighing when the taller teen's arms closed around him, "I still missed you."

Yugi felt Yami's chest expand behind him like he was going to speak, but Yami just tightened his arms around Yugi, dropping his head to rest in the juncture between Yugi's neck and shoulder. They sat like that for a while, letting the rest of the world pass them by and enjoying the little oasis they had found.

Yami was the one to pull back, just raising his head so his chin rested more fully on Yugi's shoulder. Something was bothering him, Yugi could tell by the way he stared off into space and refrained from speaking. While part of him wanted to know what Yami was thinking about, he took the more prudent route and allowed Yami to keep his own council; instead turning so he could snuggle against Yami better.

On his part, the taller teen did nothing but adjust his hold on Yugi, allowing him to squirm until he found a comfortable spot. But Yugi got a glimpse of Yami's eyes, smiling slightly as the weight that lifted from him with the move.

As the light disappeared from the skylight, Yami finally spoke. "Have you told your friends?"

"No." Yugi looked down, gently playing with Yami's fingers as he spoke. "Not that they wouldn't understand, it's just that…they feel strongly about the people on the other side of the river. And they're partially afraid that I might disappear again or get hurt. It's like they almost care too much…

"Not that I'm complaining." Yugi hastily added the statement after a few moments of silence. "But sometimes I think they only see the surface. But they've only known me for a short time, considering I was out for a month with pneumonia and then a couple more months to 'adjust to life' again. But I missed the way you treated me."

"And I miss the use of my fingers." Yugi chuckled at the comeback, stopping his manipulations only to have Yami slide their fingers together as he took Yugi's hand. Yugi stared at their interlocked hands, jumping when Yami's breath ghosted across his neck. "You don't have to qualify yourself to me, aibou. I trust you."

Yugi twisted slightly, sliding his hand free of Yami's as he pulled the taller teen into a kiss.

It was chaste, at first, a repeat of their initial kiss on the hospital bed two years ago. Then Yugi made the first move, applying more pressure with his lips and opening them in surprise as he felt Yami's hand press into his lower back. Yami took advantage of this, his tongue moving into Yugi's mouth.

Yugi felt his eyes close, enjoying the kiss and quickly reaching up to continue it when there was a brief break for air. He clung to Yami's shoulders as he felt a shift, giving a pleased moan as he was settled onto his back, Yami hovering above him.

After a few more moments of kissing, Yugi let his hands drift down Yami's back, finding the end of the shirt and diving under to search for skin. A second later, Yami was pulling away and breaking the kiss.

His eyes snapped open, breath coming in short pants as he looked at the other teen. The question he was about to ask died as Yami shook his head, brushing a strand of hair back. "Not too fast, little one."

Yugi sighed and stretched out his hand, Yami recognizing the request and settling down beside Yugi. The smaller teen moved back into the waiting embrace, wiggling until he found a comfortable spot on Yami's shoulder. As Yami held him, Yugi began to drift off to sleep, easily passing up a muttered sentence as something from a dream.

"I'm sorry, aibou. So sorry."

* * *

_Yay fluff!  
_

_Read and review. Criticism is greatly appreciated._


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. I own everything in between…which might qualify some of the plot this time.

**

* * *

Chapter Six**

Ryou opened the door to Yugi's room, eyes widening in shock as he saw Yugi tangled around Yami. He was about to back away when Yami lifted his head, looking at him. He jerked his head to the side before turning back to the teenager that was holding onto him. Ryou nodded and slipped away from the door, knowing that Yami would come out as soon as he could. The white haired teen rubbed his arms a bit, glancing back at the door before retreating to the top of the steps. He stared down the stairs, waiting until he heard the door to Yugi's room open and then shut again, Yami padding down the hall after him.

Ryou led the way downstairs, straying into the living room to avoid the kitchen where Solomon still was. He waited until Yami was standing in front of him, arms crossed with an irritated look on his face. "I was just getting comfortable."

"Well, don't get too comfortable, Yami. We'll be leaving soon." He saw his friend visibly flinch at the reminder, looking away quickly. Ryou resisted the urge to try and catch Yami's gaze again. "And I want to talk to you about what happened in that alley."

"Ryou, you would have done the same thing."

"No. I wouldn't have." Ryou crossed his arms in annoyance, shifting his weight back to stare at Yami. "You were the one who reminded me that these were our real bodies, so we have to be careful."

Yami held up a hand to stop the rest of the speech that was sure to come, sighing as he did so. "I understand, Ryou, but I will not stand by and watch Yugi get hurt when I can do something about it. This," he rolled his shoulder and winced, "was an unfortunate accident, nothing more."

Ryou shook his head but let the subject drop, knowing that it would just lead to a pointless argument. He knew better than to argue with Yami when he was like this. Yami would remain adamant that he should protect Yugi, and nothing could shift his stance on that. Especially after all that had happened to them, Yami would be even more protective of the small teenager. He waved his hand to dismiss the topic, shifting a bit to stare at Yami's shoulder, the white bandage visible through the ruined shirt.

"I'll go out searching tomorrow. _You _will be staying here."

Yami snorted, turning his glare to Ryou. "We'll both go out. The soon we find that book, the sooner you will be happy."

"No, I'm not letting you go out with that. Stay here for a little while." Yami looked like he was about to argue again, but he was cut off with a sharp shake of Ryou's head. "I don't want to drag you back after you collapse. I know you, Yami; you will push yourself to exhaustion.

"And," Ryou paused for a moment as he worked out the best way to phrase his next point, "you've been dead longer than I have. There is a chance that word may have gotten around about you. How would Domino react to a dead man walking around their streets? Do you want to have people trying to cut your head off?"

Yami winced, rocking back onto his heels before rocking forward again. "That thief let you watch too much television, Ryou. I highly doubt that people react like that when they see someone who they think is dead. Besides, it would be more likely that they would mistake me for Yugi."

"We wouldn't want that either. We want to stay out of the public eye as much as possible. No one can know we are here. Remember that." A hint of anger sparked in Yami's eyes, showing that he had caught the message that Ryou was really trying to impress upon him. They would not be here long if Ryou had anything to say about it, the memories of the family that had been taken away from him too fresh to stay on earth. And Ryou didn't want to extend their stay by any length of time.

The tri-color haired teen looked away, showing that Ryou had won the argument, at least for now. He smiled, quickly wiping the expression from his face as Yami looked back his way. The two stared at each other for a while, Ryou knowing that Yami was trying to wear him down.

If he walked away right now, Yami would conveniently forget the whole conversation because he had won the final round of the confrontation. That was how he got away with most things, acting while people were trying to figure out he had managed to win the argument in the first place. Ryou had gotten used to waiting until Yami had broken the conversation off himself and walked away. That way, Yami had been the one to retreat, so Yami was the one that had lost.

Slowly, Yami looked away and nodded, backing away. Ryou caught his arm, not expecting Yami to just slump in the hold, instead of trying to pull away. The British teen paused for a moment, not sure what to make of the surrender, before he let go. "Try not to injure yourself any more."

"I don't plan to. I'm sore enough from that resurrection." Yami managed half a smile, stretching his back and groaning when it cracked. Ryou flinched at the sound, too easily remembering the similar sounds that his bones had made as they repaired. Yami gave him a smile as an apology. "I'll see you in the morning, Ryou."

The British teen nodded, slipping around Yami to start heading up the stairs. He paused at the sound of another person entering the living room, hearing Yami do the same behind him. They both turned around to see Solomon watching them. Ryou tensed, feeling Yami rest a hand on his shoulder. This was where Solomon kicked them out, without Yugi there to defend them.

Instead, the elderly man gave them a warm smile. "Can I speak to you, Yami?"

Yami nodded, letting go of Ryou's shoulder and retreating back down the stairs. He walked over to stand by Solomon as the old man waved Ryou on. "Good night."

The white haired teen nodded, quickly fleeing up the stairs before ducking into the guest bedroom that he and Yami would be sharing, although he was sure that Yami would be sleeping in Yugi's room if he could get away with it. Ryou shook his head before opening the door of the guest room and walking over to curl up on the bed made for him.

Yami was old enough to take care of himself. And, although it irked Ryou, he would allow the tri-color haired teen to do as he pleased. As long as they eventually found that book Ryou would stay out of Yami's business. But that didn't mean that Ryou couldn't look on from afar and disapprove.

* * *

Solomon motioned for Yami to sit on the sofa as he settled himself into his favorite armchair. He noticed that Yami looked at the deck of cards on the table, his hand twitching before he reached up and held the watch around his neck instead of reaching for the cards, the motion showing that the teen wasn't quite at ease. He sighed, drawing the teen's attention back to him. "I would like to formally apologize for my behavior earlier this evening."

Yami shook his head, eyes flicking down to the watch before the raised them to meet Solomon's. "You don't have to."

"And I should thank you." There was surprise in the teen's eyes as Solomon leaned back, staring at the ceiling as he considered his words. "It was just hard to believe that he was still alive after so long. And then it hurt because, part of that time, Yugi was just within my reach and people were keeping him away from me. You wouldn't believe how worried I was when your friend came running here and told me that my grandson was in danger. And then I saw him, and he was so sick. I must have spent a week watching him sleep, afraid that he would disappear on me like his mother."

Solomon clasped his hands together, trying to ward off the worry that was returning to him with the memories. He looked down from the ceiling at the strangled sound that Yami made, all traces that the noise had existed gone from the teen's face as soon as Solomon looked over at him. He sighed, continuing on. "When he came back talking about the people who kept him from me, like they were family, I was afraid that he would prefer to be with you than me. And the fact that all of you were from the same place as the…one who kidnapped him, it had me thinking that he would prefer that kind of life."

Yami opened his mouth to say something, changing his mind at the last minute and looking down at the watch he held. The teen seemed to struggle with something before he looked back up at Solomon. "I just wanted to make sure that he was safe…I never wanted it to get as bad as that, but things got out of control."

Solomon nodded, the motion encouraging Yami to continue. "To be honest, I didn't want to let him go because," Yami quickly looked away, "because he was good company. He brightened up our life over there and everybody really wanted to keep him around. I was going to take him home when…he got sick."

There was something else, something that Yami wasn't telling him, but he let it pass. Solomon leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. It was the sudden turning away that bothered Solomon, the sudden switch from dominance to submission. Solomon stared at Yami as the tried to figure this out. His eyes widened as he saw Yami glance up toward his grandson's room, shifting like he wanted to leave. So the crush was mutual, something he was glad for. He didn't want Yugi to get stuck in a one sided relationship. It was probably too overprotective of him, but he didn't want anything else bad happening to his grandson.

"And what exactly are your intentions toward Yugi?" Solomon was surprised when he saw the barest of flinches from Yami, the taller teen looking away and speaking in the direction of the next cushion on the sofa.

"He's my friend." When Yami glanced up again, he must have read the question in Solomon's eyes, because he continued. "I have to find something and then get Ryou back home. I promised him that. I can't stick around longer than that."

"That is not what I asked." Solomon took a deep breath, watching as Yami shifted nervously. "If nothing would interfere, what are your intentions toward Yugi?"

"If I didn't have to…" Yami's eyes widened for a moment before he looked down at the watch. He rubbed his thumb over the engraving as he thought, Solomon looking with interest at the design on the watch. Yami looked up abruptly. "I…I…I can't, because I don't want to hurt him. But…"

Solomon held up a hand to stop him, having heard enough. He gave the teen a smile before slowly standing up. "If you break his heart, we will have words, young man. But, until then you have my blessing." He walked to the stairs, pausing at the bottom to look over his shoulder at Yami, smirking to himself as the teen turned around to watch him go. "Just because I have given you my permission doesn't mean that I want to hear anything from you two."

He thought he heard Yami make a strangled sound, but the teen recovered quickly as his voice was steady when he finally spoke. "Thank you, Mr. Mutou. Good night."

"Good night, Yami."

* * *

Yami slipped back up the stairs, peeking into the guest room to be sure that Ryou was sleeping soundly. He smiled at the picture that Ryou made, the British teen clutching a pillow to his chest. Yami pushed off the doorframe and walked into the room, tucking the blanket around his little brother. He chuckled at the small whimper and the way that Ryou snuggled closer to the warmth before settling back down again.

He walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him and padded down the hall. He walked to Yugi's room, slipping in and wincing at the small noise that the smaller teen made as he sat up in bed. "Yami?"

"Aibou." Yami crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed, smiling at Yugi rubbed an eye in an attempt to wake up.

"Why did you leave?"

"I had to talk to Ryou and then your grandfather detained me."

"About?"

Yugi yawned, Yami taking the chance to slip around Yugi and settle them both back onto the bed. When they were comfortable, Yami considered the question. He didn't want to tell Yugi that his grandfather had basically given him permission to ravish his grandson, as long as it didn't get too loud. "Nothing you need to worry about, aibou."

"Alright." Yugi flipped over to his side, resting his head against Yami's left shoulder and pulling the blankets more securely over him. Yugi quickly fell asleep, Yami following soon after. They remained in their original positions for a while longer before Yami moved them, rolling over to his side and pulling Yugi's back against his chest and curling around him.

* * *

_Sorry it's so short, but the story felt like it needed this little interlude. I actually don't like this chapter much, but what the plot demands the plot gets._

_Read and review. Criticism is highly appreciated._


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. I do, however, own everything in between and parts of the plot.

**

* * *

Chapter Seven**

Yami drummed his fingers against the counter, pausing when he realized what he was doing and curling the fingers back towards his palm. He sighed and shifted on the stool he was perched on, looking around the store again.

It was his fault, in a way, that he was stuck like this. After all, he had let a thug stab him in the shoulder, which had caused Yugi to worry about him. Which had led to him being stuck here, minding the store while Solomon ran a few errands, while Ryou strolled around Domino; trying to find the book. And Ryou had pointed out that, while Yami had been dead for two years, _he_ had only been dead for about a day, making him the less noticeable.

But none of that prevented him from becoming jumpy, caught in the limbo of expectation and boredom. Any minute Ryou could call with the message that he had found the book. And, the minutes were collecting in which Ryou didn't call for Yami.

The teen ran a hand through his hair, turning his head as he heard a pair of feet come running down the stairs that led to the living quarters above the shop. Yugi appeared from the stairwell, carrying a can of soda in one hand and waving with the other. Seeing Yami's slightly glazed expression, he laughed, walking over and leaning against the counter. "Bored yet?"

"Mm, not very." Yami shifted to lean on one elbow, wincing when the motion jarred his wound. Yugi was instantly at his side, observing the bandage that he had put on earlier in the day. Yami shook him off good naturedly. "I've had worse, aibou. I'm not dying on you."

His nonchalant attitude earned him a glare from Yugi and a carefully placed shove on his back. Yami allowed himself to fall forward, throwing his own playful glare at Yugi as he used the momentum to stand up, turning to face the teen. Yugi placed his soda on the counter and tried to look intimidating, failing as he collapsed into laughter.

Yami gave a smirk that Yugi didn't see before he grabbed the teen and held him against the small bit of wall between the shelves behind the counter and the staircase, leaning close to Yugi as the tri-colored hair teen stopped his laughter. "What's so funny, aibou?"

Yugi burst into laughter again, resting his head against Yami's chest as he fell forward. Yami smiled and settled the smaller teen upright again; pressing his body against Yugi's so he could brace his hands on either side of Yugi. He was about to repeat his question, but the idea died when Yugi suddenly looked up.

Before Yami could stop himself, he was leaning forward and stealing a kiss. He sunk into a deeper kiss as Yugi wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him even closer. A moan escaped him at the motion, allowing Yugi to slip his tongue past Yami's lips and explore his mouth.

Through the haze that was slowly descending on his thoughts, he heard the bell on the door ring, but dismissed it as unimportant. After all, Ryou could call at any moment and then they would be away to grab the book and be pulled back into heaven. Yami wanted to enjoy this little moment of _his_ heaven before he was forced back to that place of endless clouds and avoidance.

He shifted, one leg slipping between Yugi's as the teen moaned into the kiss. He shivered as Yugi's fingers clawed against his skin trying to pull Yami closer to him and remove the taller teen's shirt at the same time.

"Yugi?!" Yami's eyes snapped open, the teen not even aware that he had closed them in the first place. Yugi was slipping away from him, ducking his head to look under Yami's arm at the group of people who had walked into the shop.

Yami barely had the chance to turn his head before one of the group had grabbed the back of his shirt, a bright red t-shirt that Yugi had shoved on him that morning since his still damp, torn and stained with blood, and pulled him away from Yugi. He saw a tall girl with brown hair and blue eyes rush past him toward Yugi before he was spun around to face his captor. Yami immediately pushed away and took a step back, leveling an even glare at the teen as he studied him.

This one was tall with an air of ill-held temper about him. Yami raised an eyebrow at the messy clothes and blonde hair before the teen grabbed his collar and hauled him up to eye level. Red eyes met brown as the two stared each other down, the teen looking away for the briefest of seconds in the end. Yami had to smirk at that, taking the slight victory before he was roughly shaken. "What are ya don' to Yug'?"

"Nothing that he hasn't already agreed to."

"I know Yugi. He wouldn't let anyone do that."

"Joey," Yami twisted his head toward the sound of Yugi's voice, watching the smaller teen carefully extract himself from the embrace that the young woman had pulled him into and walk over. "Joey, it's alright. He's a friend."

"How come we don't know about him?" Yami winced as the teen gave him a quick shake before he was let down. He stumbled away, only to be caught by his injured shoulder by the last member in the group. He hissed in pain and jerked his shoulder away, glaring at the third teen as he backed toward Yugi.

Yugi snatched his hand immediately, pulling him behind him. It would have been a laughable gesture, the small and wimpy teenager protecting another, if it had been anyone other than Yugi. The glare that Yugi leveled at his friends was enough to make them all back up a step.

Yami let the silent chastising go on for a moment more before he pulled Yugi back into a hug, watching as the two boys in the group looked on in shock. When Yugi made to pull away again, Yami squeezed his hand, drawing the attention of the smaller teen back to him. He let go of Yugi's hand to brush it down Yugi's arm, smiling at the slight shiver that the teen gave. "Just explain, aibou. They're your friends, you owe them that."

"Please," Yami looked up at the girl, who had spoken. She gave him a shaky smile before taking a step forward. "We were just shocked and worried about you. We just don't want you to get hurt. Like the reason you make sure I reach my porch safely everyday. Please, don't be mad at us."

Yami gently shoved Yugi, letting the teen fall backward into his chest when Yugi rocked back. Yugi sighed and turned his face slightly into Yami's chest. "I'm not mad at you guys. I'm just…surprised. And owe you an explanation."

He pulled away from Yami, walking over to the counter to grab the previously forgotten soda before looking at the staircase. His friends trooped up the stairs, the two boys giving Yami even glares that he returned without a problem. Yugi trailed at the end, stopping at the base of the stairs to watch Yami return to his place behind the counter.

"When Grandpa comes back, can you…" Yugi motioned up the stairs with a hopeful look on his face. Yami nodded his assent, surprised when the smaller teen quickly rushed over to give him another kiss before darting up the stairs.

Yami stared after him, managing to hold himself together for a few more moments before he dropped his head into his hands with a groan. This wasn't working…again. He was trying to keep his distance from Yugi to prevent this thing between them from getting more serious than a mutual crush. He would leave as soon as they found the book and leave for good. He would only see Yugi again when the teen died.

He froze at the thought, having a moment of panic that made him reach for the watch that hung around his neck. He closed his hand around it, spending a moment just feeling the cold metal pressing into his hand. It hurt to think like that, hurt to even think that far ahead. Because Yugi might have found someone else, or worse, spent his whole life waiting for Yami to come back.

He knew he would never have the courage to tell Yugi the truth. If it came down to it, Yami would lie again, just to keep the teen happy. Just to give him the hope that Yami might come back. Just to make sure that Yugi would always belong to him.

* * *

Ryou let out a frustrated groan as he sat down on a park bench, flopping down and tipping his head back to stare at the sky above him. It had been hours since he had left the game shop that morning after the spirited argument that Yami had put up. Hours of fruitless wandering and searching for a vague description that Isis had given to them.

He was looking for something that felt different, a difficult task when the whole city felt different to him. Isis hadn't even been able to tell them the specific feeling of the thing, just that they had needed to be alive again to find it.

Ryou sighed, letting his head fall back into its natural position before rising to continue walking. His feet were beginning to ache, but it was nothing compared to the pain of returning to life again. He shivered at the memory, walking faster as if he could outrun it. He forced himself to slow down, ambling along with the rest of the crowd and just trying to feel.

It would have been better to have Yami out here too, that way they could have divided up the city. But Ryou didn't feel right barging in on Yugi like that and demanding to be housed for an unspecified amount of time, even if Solomon seemed to have taken a liking to him, without some sort of way to repay the two. On the other side of the argument, it was also dangerous allowing Yami to spend so much time with Yugi.

Ryou shook his head. He trusted Yami; his friend wouldn't do anything that endangered the both of them. He smiled vaguely to himself and let his mind wander into calming blankness as he walked along. After all, Yami knew that everyone that was important to Ryou was now in heaven waiting for him.

He nearly stopped dead as he glimpsed his reflection out of the corner of his eye. For a moment, he thought it was Bakura staring back at him. Ryou gulped and slipped into a nearby alleyway to catch his breath after the scare, one hand pressing over his heart as it thumped.

Everything was fine. But why did it hurt so much when his heart beat?

His hand dropped from his shirt, curling into a fist as he took a sharp breath from between his teeth. Of course he hadn't forgotten about Bakura, but it was everyone that he had ever lost waiting for him. Everyone that he had yearned for all his life. And Bakura was…Bakura just was…

Bakura was just complicating things!

Ryou turned to walk down the alley with a sharp cry, stomping through the shadows as he tried to dodge the thoughts that were haunting him. He turned out of the alley, almost running down the streets until he reached the river. On the sidewalk between bridges, Ryou began to pace, his hands going up to mess with his hair before falling back to his sides in fists.

He shouldn't even be worrying about this. He was dead and there was nothing else to it. It would be necrophilia.

But he was living _now_. And wasn't that the only thing that mattered? Shouldn't he be running back to Bakura with some excuse?

Suddenly he understood Yami's reluctance and excitement upon coming back. There was too much of a temptation here. Life itself was luring him away from what he had earned, Bakura leading the charge against him.

Ryou slumped against the railing, wrapping his arms around himself and giving a soft sob. He had to go back; it was as simple as that. As complicated as that. He didn't belong here anymore. Against his own will, he had been thrown out of a chance to live. The dead did not belong in this world.

But he wasn't sure that he ever wanted to go back now.

He shifted from his place against the railing, swaying a bit as he took all his weight back on himself, suddenly feeling heavier than ever. Ryou was about to walk away, ready to give up the search for the day and go talk to Yami, when the feeling washed over him.

It was faint, just the barest edge of it. Ryou stopped in his tracks and turned his head, while body stiffening as he decoded the feeling in his mind. It was light and, heavenly was the only way to describe it. It didn't belong here, too pure for this life. It was exactly what he was looking for.

A smile broke across his face, the expression barely having time to settle there before it was extinguished. He didn't want it to end so soon. He wanted to have a little more time in this life before he had to go back. He didn't want to have to wait for years for Bakura to join him…

Ryou gasped, a hand flying up to muffle the sound as he paused in mid step. But that would be impossible, wouldn't it? Bakura was a thief, the last kind of person that you would expect in heaven. The white haired thief had often made it known that he didn't care for the idea of an afterlife, preferring to worry about the one apparent life right in front of him. There was very little chance that Ryou would see him again after their mission was done.

He sprinted away, ignoring the odd looks he got for his behavior. All that mattered was getting back to the game shop and talking to Yami. His friend would know what to do. And, maybe, he could convince Yami to go back to the other side of the river for a little while. Just so he could see Bakura one last time before he returned to heaven.

Caught up in the torrent of his thoughts, Ryou didn't see the surprised person who stood on the bridge, frantically adjusting his spectacles as he looked after the retreating figure. He finally leaned against the side of the bridge when he was sure that his vision had not failed him.

"That's not possible!" Weevil whispered the sentence before turning and rushing back to the other side of the river, altering his direction to head for the docks as he shoved people out of his way.

* * *

Bakura opened one eye as Marik opened the door and peered into the room. The Egyptian had done this at least three times a day in the past two days. Probably just to make sure that the remains of their sad excuse of their family had not collapsed while he was asleep or up and about.

He knew he should take offense to being treated like he was about to commit suicide at any minute, but he just didn't have the energy. It seemed like he didn't have the energy for anything but plain existence. He hadn't moved from his room for two days.

And it was not like him to sit back and let the world move merrily on. His natural state would have him running after the person who had torn his life to shreds and perform the same service for them. But this time, he really didn't have anywhere to start. Noa had already been removed from his reach and Weevil had been taken to the proper authorities. It didn't matter what he did now, Yami and Ryou were still dead.

Ryou had been the last straw, it seemed. Bakura didn't even know how he truly depended on the Pharaoh and his little shadow until Yami had been removed and left him and Ryou alone. Then, the thief had clung onto Ryou, partially to keep the feeling of family that he had come to love and partially to keep from losing the thing that had become too important to him.

Bakura sat up as Marik shuffled in, wrapped in a blanket. It made the Egyptian seem more venerable, the folds of the blanket hiding him from sight and only allowing his head and fingers to show where he gripped the edges of the blanket. Marik heaved a sigh and sat down on the edge of the bed, his eyes trained on his knees. The thief adjusted his position, waiting for Marik to speak.

"What now?"

"What makes you think that I would know?" Bakura snapped out his own question, turning away from Marik to stare at a wall. He was surprised by the harsh chuckle that came from Marik.

"I don't know. I was hoping that someone would. I just can't take the silence anymore."

"Too many ghosts." Bakura could understand that feeling. He had had to leave the house once himself while Ryou was in the hospital because it was just too quiet without anyone there. It had brought up too many memories, none that he wanted to deal with.

"How can you take it?"

"What makes you think that I'm handling it well?" Bakura ended the question with a cold laugh of his own, moving his shoulder so he could see Marik's platinum blonde hair. "I just lie here all day as wish that he could come back."

"Me too." The bed shifted as Marik moved, the Egyptian curling his legs up onto the bed. "I think we should get out of here for a while. Just run away for once."

"Did that. It didn't work. I still had to come back."

"Then go out and get them!" Marik sat up, rising to his knees to loom over Bakura. "Go out and tear apart the ones who did this to us! I don't want to live like this anymore!"

"I would but…it went too far when I wasn't looking." Bakura sighed, sliding off the bed and standing up to glare at Marik. "I don't even know where to start."

Marik glared at him and threw off his blanket before grabbing onto Bakura's arm. The thief gave a brief noise of protest as Marik dragged him from the room, heading up toward the staircase that led up into the world. He gave a token struggle before submitting to the pull of the blonde teen.

The two stumbled out into the dying sun, Marik releasing his arm, almost throwing the limb away from him. "Start walking. I don't care where, but I'll follow. I just want to…I don't know."

Bakura nodded, seeing eye to eye with the Egyptian for the first time in the years that he had known him. Randomly, he spun around for a moment before finally heading off in the direction of the docks. Marik made no protest, falling into step behind the white haired thief and tucking his hands into the pocket of his sweatshirt.

* * *

Tèa turned her gaze away from where Joey and Tristan wrestled briefly. She had voted against watching the horror movie just to avoid situations like this, but had been voted down. She had shrugged it off at the time and settled back to watch the inevitable tussle that came when Joey finally got jumpy enough to latch onto the person next to him, which she had made sure to be Tristan. But, as entertaining as those two were, there were two others that held Tèa's attention.

At one end of the sofa Yami and Yugi had curled up against each other, seeming to be blissfully unaware of anyone but each other. Tèa had noticed when Yugi had shifted from his place that afforded him easy access to the bowl of snacks, an important position when Joey was around, to a place closer to Yami.

The only move he had made after that had been a jump that had nearly landed him in Yami's lap during a really frightening part of the movie. His motion had been covered up by the girlish shriek that Joey had let out before the blonde had curled against the sofa from his position on the floor.

But this was the closest that she had seen Yugi and Yami since the early afternoon when they had walked into the game shop to see Yugi being thoroughly kissed by Yami.

Tèa blushed at the memory of this morning, ruthlessly tamping down the jealously that began to rear its head. She would withhold judgment until she knew the teenager better, or at least that what she told herself. Part of her wanted to throw away the idea and yank Yugi away from Yami. Yugi was _theirs_, no matter what Yami had once done for him. There would be no taking her best friend back to that horrible place on the other side of the river.

After the kiss incident, Yugi had finally told them a little of what had happened, seeming to heavily edit some events. They had all known that he had been missing for a while, eventually ending up in the bad side of Domino. But Yugi told them that he had been held captive by a casino owner and eventually freed by Yami, who kept him safe until Yugi could be returned home.

There was obviously something more to the story, but Yugi didn't seem inclined to share the rest of it with them. Tèa didn't blame him, especially if it brought up unpleasant memories, but she also wished that he could trust his new friends as much as he trusted Yami.

Tèa looked away hurriedly as Yugi looked her way, the happy smile that had appeared when Yami had climbed up from the game shop to join their group still on his face. At least Yugi was happy; happier than he had been for a long time. And Tèa would be happy with that for now.

This was a more natural Yugi than the front he presented at school; the quiet, game-obsessed teenager falling to a more talkative teen that was more inclined to huge smiles and jokes. And, despite her distrust of Yami, Tèa found that she liked the side of Yugi that he brought out.

Confusion sorted out for now, Tèa turned back to watch the movie. Although she felt sad that she had missed out on her chance with Yugi, Tèa was willing to let her friend go with the one he obviously loved.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as screams erupted from the television as the next massacre began. She found herself riveted to the action, watching as the masked murder began to lower his bound victim into a deep pool. In the silence that fell over the group as Joey and Tristan fixed their eyes on the screen, Tèa heard the small whimper from Yugi.

Tèa turned her head, keeping half of her attention on the screen as she watched Yugi, alerted by the noise. He had curled even closer to Yami, his fingers fisted into the fabric of Yami's shirt as he buried his head in Yami's chest. On his part, Yami had gone stiff, the only movement the twitching of one hand before it darted up to grab onto the watch he wore around his neck. He seemed fixated by the events on the screen, even to the point of ignoring Yugi's obvious distress by his side.

Another round of screams from the screen jolted Yami into action, the teenager turning to scoop Yugi up onto his lap and forcing Yugi's forehead to rest against his, effectively capturing the smaller teen's attention. Tèa couldn't hear what he said, but she could see his lips moving as he calmed Yugi down, finally releasing the back of the teen's neck to allow Yugi to curl against his chest.

Tèa moved from her seat, taking Yugi's place beside Yami to glance worriedly at her friend. "Is he okay?"

Yami looked over at her, a flicker of fear passing through his red eyes before disappearing. "Yeah. Just bad memories from before."

Tèa glanced back at the screen, suddenly sickened by the image of the man writhing underwater as bubbles streamed from his open mouth. She shuddered and turned away, keeping her gaze on Yugi's back. "Did they do that to him?"

"No." There was a waver to Yami's voice now. She saw his hand reach up and grab the watch again, his thumb briefly rubbing over the engraving on the front of the watch before shaking his head.

She hesitantly placed a hand on Yugi's back, feeling him tense up before he moved his head a bit, looking at her through wide and frightened eyes. Tèa almost drew back, wanting to give her friend the space he needed, but stopped as Yugi pushed himself up a bit. "The worst that Noa did was lock me in a cage."

The rustle of clothes betrayed the shift of the two boys' attention from the screen to Yugi. Tèa scooted back a bit, turning her head to look at Joey as he edged closer. Yugi took a look at all of his friends before shivering and burying his head in Yami's chest again. When they all looked up at him, Yami gave a small shrug and gestured to Yugi with one hand before going back to stroking his back. "It's his choice to tell you."

"Yugi," the teen jumped a bit at his name as Tèa spoke, "could you tell us? We want to know why things scare you. We want to be there for you. That's what friends are for."

Yugi shook his head, earning a pained grunt from Yami as his motion jolted Yami's injured shoulder. Yami pulled Yugi back a bit, just enough so that he could look into Yugi's eyes. "It's alright, aibou. I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you. Nothing happened then and nothing will happen now."

Tèa could barely hear what Yugi said in response, but it made Yami chuckle. "They're your friends. That gives them the right to be slightly overprotective."

Yugi finally pulled away, shifting so he could see all of his friends. Tèa noticed that he had captured one of Yami's hands, the one that had previously been wrapped around the watch. A squeeze was exchanged between the two before Yugi began to speak.

"The worst Noa did was lock me in a cage. But he did that to Yami." Yugi gestured at the television, squeaking as the screen displayed the dead body of the man floating limply in the water. Yami quickly refocused Yugi's gaze and pulled the teen closer to him. Yugi took a shuddering breath. "Yami was trying to save me and Noa tied him to an anchor and lowered him into the water…and there was an alligator there."

Tèa gasped, leaning backward, remembering the alligator scare that had come after finding the mutilated body in the swamps. Yugi apparently thought that was enough for the moment and buried his head back in Yami's chest. A horrified silence fell over the group, filled only by soft murmuring as Yami calmed Yugi down.

Tèa cast a look at Tristan, who had prudently turned the movie off before sinking back to the floor. Now she knew why Yugi had insisted on telling the bare minimum to them. When the details were went into, it scared her, made her want to keep Yugi away from everything just to protect him. She couldn't bear the thought of the bright teenager being treated like that.

"Thank you." She was surprised when she spoke, breaking the silence and making Yami look up at her abruptly. Tèa blushed and forced herself to meet Yami's gaze. "For saving him."

"What else could I do?" Yami gave a little shrug before shifting Yugi into a more comfortable position. He abruptly looked up toward the stairs that led to the shop, the quick movement making everyone but Yugi look in the same direction.

Another teen was waiting at the top of the stairs, panting heavily from a long run. His brown eyes were wide as he stared at Yami, a similar watch dangling from around his neck. "I found it."

* * *

Noa glared at the man called Aknadin, irked that he had to put up with the host. He had spent the whole day searching for that book, finding nothing but blisters on his feet. He flopped down on a crate, glaring at the man. Noa half expected the voice to bellow out at him his failure, but the man remained silent; looking down at his hands.

When he finally spoke, it was not what Noa expected. "Did you know Atemu?"

The plaintive tone of voice was something that Noa was not used to from the host of his boss. The aqua haired teen shifted on his seat, wanting to voice something malicious. But the look on the man's face made him stop and think. Perhaps this man was close to Atemu, the ever elusive family of his former partner. The man deserved an honest answer at least. "I did."

That seemed to satisfy the man, because he nodded gloomily and turned back to looking back at his hands, absorbed in his own thoughts. Noa sighed and turned away, focusing his gaze on the door to the warehouse just as Weevil burst in, panting frantically as he tried to speak.

"I saw him…I swear…"

"Speak or be silent." Noa snapped out the words, tensing at the harsh laugh that came from the man behind him. He didn't have to turn around to know that Aknadin's usually blue eyes would be tinted with red at the edges. The voice had taken control again. Noa fought the urge to rub a hand over his face, regretting his split second decision to use Weevil to do his bidding. It hadn't worked out well the first time and it wasn't working this time.

"Ryou. I saw him and I swear I killed him. I hit him with my car." Weevil began pacing frantically. "I saw him hit my car and I watched him roll to the side of the road. He was dead. And I saw him. It wasn't that thief look alike."

"It doesn't matter." Noa slid off his crate, stalking over to Weevil to grab the smaller man by the collar and haul him up. "Where did you see him?"

"Across the river in Domino."

"Where did he head off to?" When Weevil didn't answer immediately, Noa gave him a rough shake. "Where did he go, Weevil?"

"I don't know. He headed off at a run for some part of the city. I just came back to you, like you ordered if I heard anything interesting."

Noa sighed and threw Weevil to the side with a disgusted sigh. "That doesn't narrow our search area much."

Aknadin let out another one of his soulless laughs. "**No, but I can help there. This one wants to see his nephew and you need to deliver you ultimatum to those two, if I guess correctly. We can work together. I am strong enough in this form to feel former angels, especially one who was once in my possession. We go tomorrow.**"

The tone booked no arguments. Noa ground his teeth together for a moment before turning and storming off to a separate section of the warehouse, heading for the alarm clock that waited for him. He shot an angry glare over his shoulder before reaching out and cradling the clock to him. He brushed one finger down the face of the clock before shifting to a more comfortable position and just listening to the seconds of his life pass.

* * *

Weevil straightened his clothes as he walked out of the warehouse, glaring back at the door. Who was Noa to discount important news like that? He was only doing what he ordered. It wasn't like Noa had much of a choice anymore. All the others that had followed him would have attempted to kill him again, but Weevil was a bit more open minded. Except for this thing with Ryou.

He scowled as he began to walk off, reassuring himself that he had indeed killed the teenager. A moment of contemplation was all he got before he was grabbed up by the collar and hauled up to meet the angry russet eyes of Bakura. "Where did you see Ryou?!"

* * *

_Just a quick note, while Tèa is not my favorite character, I try not to be too mean to her for no apparent reason (plot, however, is apparent reason). But she will **never** get closer than a friend to Yugi and/or Yami...if she shows up at all.  
_

_Read and review. Criticism is always welcome._


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. I only own the things in between.

**

* * *

Chapter Eight**

It was just luck that they had been walking close to the warehouse when they had seen Weevil go running it. Marik had held Bakura back, keeping the thief calm and drag him up to the slightly open door where they had listened into the conversation, Marik's hand clamped over Bakura's mouth. The Egyptian had also been the one to haul Bakura away, releasing him only when Weevil had walked off.

Now Bakura was in complete control of himself and frantic to keep a hold of this one little ray of hope that he had been shown. He tightened his hold on Weevil's collar as the lackey tried to get out of his grip, shaking when Weevil refused to him up the information. "I swear I will kill you if you don't tell me now; where is Ryou?!"

"I don't know!" Weevil screamed the words out, curling up on himself. "I just saw him run off into the city."

Bakura snarled and set him down on his feet, shifting his hold to Weevil's shoulder. Marik took the opportunity to step up, giving Bakura an even glare before looking down at Weevil. "You take us to where you last saw him. If you don't I'll let Bakura do whatever he has planned for you. And, personally, I'll enjoy it."

Weevil whimpered and tried to flinch away from Marik, only to be held fast by Bakura. The Egyptian nodded at Bakura, stepping to the side to allowed Weevil to start leading them away. The lackey immediately started heading back toward the river and the bridges, walking quickly in his fear. Bakura let himself follow while his mind wandered away, leaping to conclusions that he didn't want to even think about.

It could have all been a mistake, he and Mahad could have been wrong. Ryou could have just been knocked out cold. And Bakura had just deserted him, when he had promised Yami and himself that he would take care of the British teen. Ryou had probably woken up scared and afraid.

He was afraid to voice the impossibility, preferring to think off the slim chance that his mind made up. He refused to believe that Ryou had returned from the dead. That was impossible. Maybe sticking close to the Pharaoh for so many years had caused some of that good luck to rub off on him. Or, better yet, Ryou hadn't been dead at all. That was much better. Ryou had just been knocked out and they had both been wrong.

Anything but false hope. Bakura didn't think he could take another let down. He was sure that Marik couldn't either.

"He ran off that way." Weevil pointed off into the city, Bakura coming back to himself under the glow of the lights. He turned to look in the direction that Weevil was pointed, disgusted with the slim lead that they had. Even Marik scoffed from his place behind them. Under their twin glares, Weevil ducked his head. "I told you it wasn't much!"

Bakura held back his temper, trying to think around the rising depression. There had to be something in that direction that Ryou would head toward. The British teen didn't know much about the city, only a few places that they had gone together. Bakura tapped his fingers irritably against Weevil's shoulder, enjoying the whimper each impact drew from the lackey.

No, there was no place in the city that Ryou would go that Noa wouldn't already know about…

Except there.

Bakura's eyes widened as he turned back to look in the indicated direction. If Ryou had headed that way, it would lead him back to there, the only place that Noa and his goons had never discovered. A feral smile crossed his face as Bakura turned back to look at Weevil. The lackey whimpered and tried to get away.

Feeling merciful, Bakura merely walked Weevil over to the bridge and heaved him over the rail. "Hope you enjoy your swim."

Weevil screamed as he fell, the splash of water coming soon after, Marik lunging for the railing to look over into the river. Bakura didn't bother to look back down to see if the lackey had come back up, instead breaking into a jog. Marik caught up quickly, shaking his head in annoyance. "There had to have been more we could have gotten out of him."

"No, he told us enough."

"What exactly?"

Bakura gave a crazed smile, breaking out into a full sprint. "He told us where Ryou is."

"What? Where?" Marik wheezed out the words as he tried to keep up with Bakura.

"Ryou went to find the Pharaoh's pet."

* * *

Yami stared at Ryou from his place on the sofa, listening with half an ear as Yugi spoke quietly to his friends as they prepared to go home. He almost got up to follow Yugi upstairs when the teen returned to the living room, only the look from Ryou keeping him there. Yugi looked between the two of them before sighing and heading upstairs. Yami followed him with his eyes before snapping his attention back to Ryou. "So, where is it."

"It's on the other side of the river." Ryou looked at his fingers, shifting nervously in his seat. "We need to go over there now to get a better idea of where it is."

"Why?" Yami gestured outside. "It's getting dark."

"We just need to get out of here soon." Yami held his temper as Ryou stood up, beginning to pace. "Get the book and get back to heaven before anything happens."

"What would happen, Ryou?" Yami lounged back on the sofa, watching as Ryou slowed down for a moment.

"I…" Ryou seemed to fumble for a moment. "You might want to stay here with Yugi. You seem to be getting very comfortable around him. Have you forgotten that you are dead, Yami?"

"I know that." He snapped out the words instead of flinching. "Don't think that I don't know that. It hurts, but I try to enjoy every moment I have with Yugi because any might be my last. I learned that from last time. But what are you really worried about, Ryou?"

"Me?" Ryou's voice cracked, a sure sign that Yami had caught him.

"Yes. You wouldn't normally rush a job, you would stand by and wait for me to rush into something without thinking. Why would…" Yami abruptly sat back, eyes widening as he came to the correct conclusion. It was the only thing that would send Ryou into a panic. "It's Bakura, isn't it."

Ryou whimpered and flopped back into his seat, resting his head on his knees. "I can't see him again. I can't. Then I might not want to go back. It's where I belong. I am dead. And…" Ryou looked up with tears streaming down his face. "I don't think I can tell him. I don't think I can do this."

"Ryou." Yami got up and pulled his friend into a hug, easily shifting into big brother mode. He held the British teen close, shoving away the fears that Ryou had raised. "I don't know what to tell you."

"Can we go now? I just want to go back."

Yami looked away, staring at the staircase. "I…"

"Say good-bye, Yami." He flinched at Ryou's words, untangling himself from the teen and scrambling away. It was too close to what he had been told the last time he had seen Yugi. He stood up again, staring at Ryou in disbelief before fleeing up the stairs.

He didn't want to be reminded right now that this could be the end of everything that he and Yugi had built up. He didn't want to be reminded of his imminent return to heaven. All he wanted to do was find Yugi and spend hours in blissful ignorance of the coming day. He had been right to tell Ryou not to bring them here, the temptation was too great. And he had fallen for it again.

Yami nearly threw open the door to Yugi's room, startling the teen as he barged in and slammed the door shut behind him. Yami kept himself facing the door, resting his forehead against it as he panted for breath. He hadn't thought when he reacted, just needing to get away from Ryou before the white haired teen had convinced him to leave. He couldn't bear to leave Yugi, not yet, not so soon.

"Yami?" He relaxed as Yugi touched his left shoulder, gently pulling him away from the door. Yami followed Yugi as he led him over to the bed, sitting on the edge as Yugi crawled up beside him. "What were you and Ryou talking about?"

Yami looked away, trembling. He tensed as Yugi guided his head back to look at him, the worry in the purple eyes undoing his defenses. "Yami, what's wrong?"

"I might have to leave again…for good." Yugi's hand dropped away, falling onto the bed. Yami watched as the teen dropped his gaze away, already feeling the distance between them growing. Yami reached out for Yugi, forcing down a whimper of his own as the teen moved away. He shifted closer to Yugi, yearning to hold the other. "I don't want to. I never wanted to leave in the first place."

"Then why did you?" Yugi finally allowed Yami to hold him, the taller teen sighing as he gathered Yugi up into his arms. "If you didn't want to, why did you go? I could have let you stay here until they found out that Noa was dead. You didn't have to go away."

"I knew he was dead…I saw the alligator. And," Yami rested his chin on Yugi's shoulder, rocking slightly as he carefully considered his next words, "and…it was my time, I guess. It was unavoidable."

"Your time?" Yugi sounded confused, but Yami didn't bother to elaborate. He didn't want Yugi figuring it out, especially not tonight. Tonight, Yami just wanted to pretend that the rest of the world didn't exist. That tomorrow would never come and that he would never have to give up Yugi for anything.

"Can I just hold you, for tonight?" Yami hated that he was begging, but he couldn't think of anything else to do. He just needed something to tide him over until Yugi reached the end of his life, a thought that Yami was not even willing to contemplate. "Nothing else. Just be here."

Yugi twisted in his arms, turning to look at Yami. The taller teen wasn't sure what Yugi saw, but it was apparently enough to bring a bit of fear into the purple eyes. Yugi responded with a nod, pushing Yami down onto the bed and curling up with him. He settled down mostly on top of him, latching a leg over one of Yami's. "You're not leaving, not tonight."

"Thank you." Yami turned his head so that Yugi could use his chest as a pillow, smiling at the small sound of contentment that the teen made. His eyes closed, savoring the feeling of having Yugi so close to him. He didn't expect Yugi to reach up and run his fingers through his bangs, rearranging them to his liking.

"Good-byes aren't forever, right." Yami gave a small nod of agreement, the motion encouraging Yugi to go on. "But why do they always feel like an end."

"I don't know, aibou. I just don't know." Yami wrapped his arms around the teen, holding him close. He felt Yugi settle down, a barely muffled yawn escaping him. Yami smirked, turning his gaze to the ceiling as Yugi drifted off into sleep.

He shifted so he could look at Yugi, watching as the teen's face relaxed into sleep. Carefully, Yami ran a finger from Yugi's temple to his neck, soothing him when he shivered with the touch. How could he ever leave this again, especially since he was expected to do it of his own free will?

Yami sighed, shifting Yugi so the teen's head rested against Yami's chest, smiling at the content hum that Yugi gave. He absentmindedly began to stroke Yugi's back, closing his eyes at the peace that washed gently over him. Where had this been for the past two years? Where was the easy, perfect afterlife he had been promised?

He felt his own eyelids grow heavy, smothering a yawn as he rested a cheek against the top of Yugi's head. Yami was about to follow him when he heard knocking from downstairs.

He was up immediately, untangling himself from Yugi and striding toward the door. The smaller teen sat up, blinking in confusion as he watched Yami open the door. "Yami? What's going on?"

"I don't know." He slipped out the door, having to swing it open again as Yugi followed right behind him. He was tempted to order Yugi to go back to his bed and sleep, but he was stopped by the frantic patter of feet as someone raced toward the stairs. Yami pushed Yugi behind him and glared down the stairs, relaxing when Ryou appeared.

The white haired teen was shaking, leaning heavily on the wall to keep himself upright. He stumbled up a few of the steps before stopping and looking plaintively up at Yami. Yami relaxed and moved down to stand a step above Ryou, Yugi still sticking close. "What is it, Ryou?"

"Bakura and Marik are here. They found us and I don't know how." Yami's eyes darted to the door where the pounding had started up again, holding his ground even though everything told him to run for Yugi's room again. He was supposed to be dead. They couldn't find him here. A whimper from Ryou drew his eyes back down to the teen. "Yami, what do I do?"

Yugi saved him from having to answer, stepping away from Yami's side to walk to the door. He gave Yami an even look, which Yami returned with a nod and slipped into the shadows. Ryou looked at his best friend in amazement, moving closer to hold a whispered conversation as Yugi trekked to the door. "What do I do? I can't see him again. I really can't."

"It's the only thing you can do." Yami shrugged, looking over Ryou's head. The teen sagged and turned to walk down the stairs, brushing past Yugi to step outside. Yami heard a gasp before the door was completely shut and Yugi had returned to his side.

Yugi hesitantly brushed Yami's arm, looking up at the taller teen only when he was sure that he had Yami's attention. "Will you really have to leave again?"

"Yugi…" Yami sighed before scooping up Yugi bridal style and carrying him back to his room, ignoring the surprised shriek and then the orders to set him back down. Yami only complied with the second part to deposit Yugi onto his bed, laying himself over the smaller teen and leaning in for a quick kiss. "I don't want to think about it. I just want to forget."

The smaller teen nodded after a moment, resting his hands on Yami's shoulders. "I don't want to think about it either."

Yami smiled as he was pulled down into another kiss, pressing close to Yugi in the vain hope that he wouldn't be torn away.

* * *

Ryou knew it was foolish to hope that Bakura would have been deterred by Yugi and doubly foolish to hope that Yami would back him up in this. After all, Yami would have shocked Bakura more than the thief would be willing to deal with. And Ryou would end up lacking a partner in this enterprise.

He had not expected to be swept up into a tight hug as soon as he sidled past Yugi, suddenly pressed against Bakura as the thief proceeded to squeeze the air out of him. Ryou flailed for a moment, all the air being pushed out of him in a squeak, before finally getting a grip of the teen that was holding him. He gently pulled back, sucking in a deep breath of air as Bakura released him slightly.

"Gods, Ryou, you scared me." Ryou barely got time to think over the words before he was pulled back into a tight hug, struggling to move back so he could look at Bakura. Or get away, whichever option came first. His brain told him to run back inside and forget about all of this, but his heart told him to stay here.

"Bakura…"

The thief finally released him, standing back so he could give Ryou a quick look over, Ryou blushing under the intense gaze. He looked over to the side, eyebrows rising when he spotted Marik lurking in the background. He pulled away from Bakura, walking up to Marik to cross his arms in annoyance.

On his part, Marik gave a huge smile. "We thought you were dead. Why didn't you tell us that you were just hiding out? It would have stopped Bakura from moping around for days."

Ryou looked over at Bakura in shock, surprised to see the thief looking embarrassed at the remark instead of furiously denying it like he normally would. For a moment, Ryou was tempted to walk back over and give Bakura a hug, reassure him that everything would be okay. That he was back and there was nothing to worry about. Instead, he ducked his head, avoiding the two gazes directed at him. "Sorry, I just didn't feel safe anymore. Especially after what Weevil tried to do." He had to force himself not to wince at the lie. "So I came here because I felt safe."

If that was the lie they had told themselves, then Ryou would use it instead of trying to make one up on his own. It would take too much effort to keep from revealing his lie, especially to Bakura. He looked up with a brief smile before returning his gaze to the ground. "I wanted them to go after me instead of you two. Because it could all fall apart so easily."

"Too late, Ryou, it already did." Ryou jumped at the anger in Bakura's voice, looking up suddenly to meet the angry gaze before backing to the door. "When we lost Yami it was the beginning. As much as I hated that, I can't go back there without you, it just isn't right anymore."

"Bakura, I can't!"

He yelped as Bakura grabbed his arm, pulling him up to meet the angry russet eyes. "Well then what are we supposed to do?"

Ryou shivered. Everything had changed and they were all struggling to go back to their definition of normal. Marik and Bakura were trying to gather the small group that had been their family for most of their life, preferring that to facing the world alone again. He was trying to go back to heaven, where he belonged and where his family was waiting for him; the family he had never really forgotten. Yami was the only puzzle at the moment, the only one of the four not trying to accomplish anything. He was just trying to hold on to what he had. Yami was the one who didn't want to go back to paradise, wanted to stay with everything he had known, but he wasn't fighting. He wasn't being Yami.

The conclusion shocked Ryou into stillness, his eyes moving to stare at the door. Yami had become resigned to his fate; he wasn't fighting anything that Ryou said anymore. He had numbly followed Ryou to Yugi's house and hadn't even spoken against chasing after the book beside the stipulation that they leave it until morning.

This was his chance to make a run for what he knew before his heart totally overruled him. The dead should stay dead, not masquerade as living beings. Yami wouldn't fight him this time.

"I'm going back tomorrow, in the morning, to look for something. Something important." Ryou slowly spoke the words, waiting until his feet were firmly back on the ground again before speaking. "It will get Weevil off my back and then I can go back to where I belong. Will you guys come and help me tomorrow? Just meet me on the closest bridge."

He hoped that his smile wouldn't betray him and relaxed when Bakura rubbed a hand over his arm, nodding as he did so. Marik responded with a simple nod before turning and walking away. The Egyptian paused after a few steps, indicating that Bakura should follow with a jerk of his head.

Bakura swallowed, glancing back at Ryou before pulling him into a brief kiss and walking away, leaving Ryou to stumble back to the door. The white haired teen watched as the two disappeared into the night before rushing back into the house, falling back against the closed door with a sob.

It should have worked; it should have kept his heart from hurting. He had reasoned it out. Yami was leading the way again, Ryou had shoved the responsibility off to him again, where it should be. But it still hurt to contemplate leaving Bakura again. The thief had looked so broken for a second when he had seen Ryou, so different from the Bakura he had known.

Ryou shook his head and walked over to the sofa, curling up on it and closing his eyes. He didn't want to do this. He wanted Yami to be able to tell him what to do. The watch around his neck shifted, the golden circle pressing against the back of one of his hands. Ryou glanced at it, hating it suddenly.

How could Yami even look at the horrible thing that marked out the seconds of his life? How could he survive everyday with it hanging around his neck and reminding him of what had happened? How did Yami not go crazy?

He pulled it from his neck and threw it away from him, half hoping that it would break on impact and take this decision away from him. Unfortunately, it landed on the carpet and spun a bit before falling to its side, gleaming in the dim light from the streets. Ryou snarled at the object before flipping over onto his other side, trying to keep the anger so he wouldn't fall into sorrow.

* * *

Yugi stroked his hand down Yami's side, biting his bottom lip as Yami whimpered when a shift in Yugi's position took him further away. Yugi scooted closer, gently pushing the watch out of his way so he could settle into a more comfortable position on Yami's chest. Even the small purr that he got from the teen wasn't enough to make Yugi smile.

Something was off, and it scared him.

First, Yami and Ryou had come back to stay with him, which was odd because they had a house over on the other side of the river, a place where people understood them. They wouldn't be in any trouble with Noa because he was dead; even his former thugs would leave them alone. The thugs would be useless without a leader.

Second, Bakura and the fourth member of their group had come over apparently looking for them. And Yugi had seen the panic the Bakura's eyes, something that only appeared when there was a possibility of harming Ryou. Both the teens had looked like they had gone through hell.

Yugi shifted again, earning another whimper from Yami as the teen reestablished his grip on Yugi, keeping him close. He reached up and stroked Yami's face, the teen leaning into the caress.

Third, Yami would have to leave again. He said so himself. But he didn't want to go, Yugi could see that. What was so important that it would take Yami away from him, and against his will? Even when he tried to get information from Yami, he would abruptly change the subject or drop into an unnerving silence.

"I wish you could tell me." Yugi whispered the words to the teen, planting a kiss on his chest. Yami snuggled closer, a soft sigh escaping him. Yugi gave a wistful smile at the motion, wanting nothing more than to leave it at that. "Why do you have to leave again?"

Yami whimpered in response, tensing at something in his dream. "No, please. Not him. Not my aibou. Please."

Yugi tried to sit up only to be kept down by the tight hold that Yami had on him. Unable to move much, Yugi reached up and placed a hand back on Yami's cheek, waiting for the teen to calm. Eventually, Yami relaxed, nuzzling into Yugi's palm. "Don't take Yugi away from me. It's not fair."

Yugi closed his eyes as he felt Yami finally settle, listening to the steady beat of the heart under his ear. Sleep snuck up on him between thoughts, sending him into blissful unconsciousness snuggled up against Yami.

* * *

Noa laughed at the soaking wet Weevil, leaning back against one of the crates as the man shivered. He finally got control over himself, only to nearly lose it again as Weevil's shoes squelched as he shifted. Noa covered his mouth with one hand before using the same hand to run through his hair to disguise the motion. "So they know where Ryou and Atemu are? And they didn't tell you before they threw you over a bridge?"

Weevil nodded miserably. Noa pushed away from the crate, turning to look at Aknadin, who was still sitting in the same place he had been earlier that night, staring at the floor. Noa cleared his throat, pleased when the man's head snapped up with red tinged eyes. So the voice was listening, that was good.

"I say we try to lure one of them to this side of the river, as bait to make sure that the other will find what we want. Very little effort on our part."

Aknadin shook his head. "**No. If we get one of them, they will find it all too easy to wiggle out of our grasp. We need to get the few that mean the most to them. Then they cannot refuse.**"

Noa tapped his fingers against the nearest crate, a plan beginning to form. He spun back around to point at Weevil. "Find some people and bring them here. Take a few with you and search for Yugi's house, find his friends or family. I'll take a group to rough up that little group of children he keeps safe. And you," Noa turned back around to look at Aknadin, "keep Atemu distracted until everything is in place. You said your host wanted to visit his nephew. Keep Atemu out of the way long enough for our plan to work and I swear that you will get the book this time."

Aknadin smirked, the expression frighteningly like Yami's. Noa took an involuntary step back before he gained control of himself, shooting a look over his shoulder at Weevil. The glance was enough to send the man scurrying back out to carry out the orders.

"**If you want success, you will need to get Yugi away from** **Atemu.**" Aknadin spoke slowly as he lounged back, the position at odds with the suit that he still wore. "**That way you can have a little fun.**"

Noa waved the suggestion off. "Yugi was only a means to revenge and a place to run to safety. It was just business."

"**Then why did Atemu ask to see Yugi when he first came to me?**" Noa stared at Aknadin as the smirk widened into a cold smile. His hands clenched into fists as the man closed his eyes. "**It is more than business.**"

Noa turned his back on the man, tipping to one side to lean against the crates. He hated that the voice had kept such important information from him. How was he supposed to succeed when things like that were withheld from him, just because it was more fun to watch him squirm? He bit back his acerbic retort, preferring to stay in the good graces of the creature that was in control of Aknadin. It was better this way, he would get what he wanted and the voice would get what it wanted. They would both be happy and then they could part quickly, never to bother each other again.

"We start early." Noa threw the comment over his shoulder as he stalked off to where his clock waited for him. He was willing to deal with the creature for little bursts of time, but this extended contact was getting on his nerves. He was used to being the boss, the one in charge of everyone else, not just a useless lackey like he was being treated right now.

Sulking, Noa sat down on the ground and crossed his arms with a huff of annoyance. He bet that Seto never had to deal with this kind of disrespect.

* * *

_Read and review please. Criticism is always welcome._


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do no own Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. I only own everything in between.

**Warnings:** The use of 1 curse word…but I feel it's deserved.

**

* * *

Chapter Nine**

In the pale light of dawn a nervous group lingered outside a warehouse, some staring in awe at the aqua haired teen that they all thought had died. Others preferred not to care and looked away, too interested in the job before them to turn this opportunity down. When their leader straightened up, they all looked up, hopefully.

"You all know you tasks. Complete them or suffer. And, I promise, the tortures will be unimaginable." They all slunk away as Noa chuckled, shooting a glance to the man who stood calmly beside him. Noa turned his back to the crowd, crossing his arms to address Aknadin. "I guess you'll be heading off."

The man gave a short nod before walking away, leaving Noa steaming in front of the warehouse. "Do you even know where you are going?!"

Aknadin turned around with a smirk, pointing vaguely. "**I can sense him. That is enough. Go on with your work and don't fail me.**"

"Distract Atemu long enough for my men to follow after you. It will be your fault if this all falls through!" Noa shook his head as Aknadin ignored his words and loped off, leaving him with a small group. He shrugged to himself and moved to lead his group to the old church, seething internally.

It would be that man's fault if the plan fell through, but he would find some way to place the blame on Noa. But that would not happen, not while Noa was in possession of any of his senses. There was no way this plan would fail, especially with the attack on all fronts. This was the perfect plan for annihilation, the one that he should have thought up when he was originally trying to get rid of Yami.

He waved his men on, breaking into a jog himself. They had a limited window of time for this to work.

* * *

Ryou waved shyly to Bakura, who was standing alert at the bridge. In contrast, Marik was napping against the railing. The Egyptian was woken up by a sharp nudge to his side as Ryou approached, scrambling to his feet with a sour look on his face. He mumbled something unintelligible to Bakura before addressing Ryou. "Where to?"

Ryou felt foolish giving a brief shrug, closing his eyes and turning in his place until he picked up the edge of that feeling again. He opened his eyes and pointed in the direction while beginning to walk, trusting that Bakura would follow. Marik could follow or not, Ryou just wanted one person to diffuse any potentially dangerous situations.

He stepped from the bridge, walking swiftly along the river and toward the market district. Often, he had to alter directions, leading himself on a confusing chase around a certain area. The feeling was there one minute and gone the next as he stepped to a certain spot or moved around a building.

Ryou growled to himself, nearly throwing up his hands in defeat. He knew that if he gave up, then he would have to stay here longer. And he would never get back. He was so caught up in his wanderings that he didn't notice Bakura until the thief reached out to grab his shoulder, stopping the nearly relentless pacing that Ryou had started. "What are you looking for?"

"A book. A specific one." Ryou tossed his bangs out of his face as he stopped, looking back at Bakura and the panting Marik. "But…I can't seem…it's difficult. You just have to trust me on this. But I can't seem to find it…it's just difficult."

Bakura slung his arm over Ryou's shoulder, gently bringing him to stand directly beside him. Ryou stuttered to a stop, unintelligible syllables coming from his mouth as he came to realize what was going on.

He couldn't find the book. It was just too hard to do on his own, too hard to interpret the feeling on his own. He would have to talk to Isis, ask her what it meant. But that indicated that he would have to wait around until Isis actually contacted them. Which meant more time on earth.

Ryou hung his head and allowed Bakura to begin to guide him away from the area. He heard Marik fall in behind them for a moment before stumbling up beside Bakura, chuckling to himself. "Who knew it would be so hard to find a book?"

He felt Bakura shift by his side, probably to glare at Marik. Ryou elbowed the thief in the side before an argument broke out, not wanting to hear any of the insults the two could think up. Marik seemed happy with this, nearly skipping ahead to walk backward. "I've been craving a meal cooked by our own Ryou since I got back. Think you can manage it."

Ryou cracked a smile at the comment, looking up with a fake glare on his face. "I was clipped by a car two days ago. I think you can make your own food."

Marik pouted and turned around to walk with his arms crossed over his chest. From beside him, Bakura broke into loud laughter, now using Ryou as support instead of supporting him. Ryou's smile widened, now reaching his eyes as he lost himself in the moment with the people he loved.

"Bakura!" The three turned suddenly to see Mana running toward them. Ryou immediately ducked behind Bakura, pressing up against the thief's back as the teenage girl rushed up to them. Marik stepped to the side to allow her into their group, Ryou getting a glimpse of her black hair as she came to a ragged stop. "Malinda told me to run for help."

"Malinda?" Ryou froze at the name, remembering it where Bakura could not. He almost moved out of his hiding place, waiting to hear the rest of the news. He heard Marik shift closer, the Egyptian the one to speak.

"What's going on Mana? What is Malinda asking for?"

"I don't know how, but there's a bunch of thugs being led by…" Ryou peeked out from behind Bakura in time to see Mana drop her head into her hands. Marik hesitantly patted her shoulder before jumping away. That seemed to do the trick because she looked up again. "It can't be right, but I saw Noa in front of them."

Ryou darted out from behind Bakura, grabbing a hold of Mana's arm before he knew what he was doing. "Did he see you?" The girl gave a quick shake of her head, eyes wide in surprise. "Good, just get yourself to safety and let us worry about this."

Mana gave him a frightened look before rushing off again, leaving Ryou to spin and run toward the old church. Bakura was at his side immediately, leaving Marik to blunder after them. Bakura was about to speak, but was waved off by Ryou as he put more of his energy into running.

It made sense to him now or, at least, half of it. Noa had taken the book from heaven, because he and Yami had been sure that Noa had been dead. He had seen them drag Noa's tattered body from the water a few days after the _Baroness_ had sunk. Noa had been dead.

Ryou awkwardly turned around a corner, yelping as he nearly fell. He pushed away Bakura's hands and moved faster. So Noa knew that he and Yami were back. Revenge would be the first thing on Noa's mind, which was why he was moving against the orphans. And Ryou wouldn't let him get away with that.

* * *

Tèa moved aside as Joey came running up to the group, nearly taking both her and Tristan down as he stumbled to a stop. The blonde gave them both an apologetic smile as he straightened his tussled clothes. Tèa gave him an annoyed smile. "You stay up late devising new strategies."

Joey returned a mock glare. "Yug' said it takes hard work to win."

Tèa rolled her eyes with a smile, starting the walk down the few blocks to Yugi's house. It had been agreed last night that they would meet to go to the arcade, or maybe just hang around again and have one of their afternoon long tournaments. She didn't mind what they did; she just wanted to hang out with one of her best friends.

She absently tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear as they walked along, a vague smile on her face. It still hurt a little, if she was honest with herself. It hurt that Yugi was already taken by another, especially since she had just started to see her crush on him for what it was. But as long as he was happy, she would be able to sit by and let it happen. But at the first sign of trouble, she would help Yugi out.

Tristan threw out an arm, stopping her in his tracks. Tèa blinked in confusion, thrown suddenly out of her thoughts by the stop. She peered over the arm, having to dodge to the side as Joey stepped in front of Tristan. "What's the big idea?"

She jumped as a nasally voice drifted from up ahead. "I assume you know Yugi Mutou."

"Yugi!" Tèa tried to push out of Tristan's light hold, seeing the other boy's eyes narrow in dislike.

"What have you done to him?"

"Nothing yet." Tèa ducked under the arm, watching as men spread out around them, blocking off any potential chances to escape. She got a glimpse of the person who was talking to them, staring at the short, man with glasses. He smirked back at her, false bravado oozing from him. "But a little extra insurance will never hurt. Atemu wouldn't do anything unwanted if something precious to his Yugi could be harmed."

Tèa shivered and shoved her way out from around Tristan, ready to fight for herself. Joey glanced back at her with confusion before nodding, accepting her choice. She lowered her voice, making the boys lean in toward her. "First one out, run and tell Yugi. We'll figure out how to find each other again."

The boys nodded before lunging forward into the conflict, Tèa a heartbeat after them.

* * *

Yami stretched as he cleared the last step, smiling as his back extended. He relaxed again, running a hand through his hair to settle it back into its natural state. The sound of feet on the stairs made him turn around, the smile growing wider as he saw Yugi coming after him. The younger boy gave a sleepy wave before disappearing into the kitchen.

Yami followed after him, waving at Solomon as the old man turned around with a plate of pancakes. He set the plate in front of Yugi, who immediately dug in. Yami circled the table, happily accepting the glass of orange juice that Solomon gave him before the old man sat down at the table.

"What was all the noise last night?" He raised a suggestive eyebrow at Yugi, who blushed bright red.

"N…nothing like that Grandpa!" Yugi ducked his head down, blindly swatting at Yami as the taller teen laughed at him.

Finally, Yami took pity on Yugi and shook his head. "It was nothing like that Mr. Mutou. Just a few friends who were in town and wanted to see us. They were worried about us because of all the mess that went on. Sorry about the noise."

Solomon just smiled, throwing a wink at Yami which made Yugi blush and burry his head in his arms. Solomon stood up from the table, giving Yugi's hair a quick ruffle before he went down to mind the shop. Yami kept his smile on, waiting until Solomon was gone to break into laughter, the sound ending abruptly as Yugi got up and gave him a playful slap on the head.

Yami tugged Yugi into his lap, cuddling the boy close. "You're cute when you're flustered."

Yugi shoved Yami's hands away from him. "'M not cute."

Yami chuckled, letting the teen settle down on his lap and pulling his half eaten plate of pancakes over to his side of the table. Yami leaned back and let Yugi eat, drinking the rest of his juice and waiting for the boy on his lap to finish.

The shop door banged open just as Yugi had gotten up from his place, the small teen stopping in his tracks with the plate hovering over the table as they heard voices from below. Both Yami and Yugi darted for the door as the voices were raised to shouts and the sounds of something wooden breaking came from the shop, Yugi's plate shattering as it bounced off the table and hit the floor.

Yami was the first into the shop. He took in the broken stool before pivoting to face the man who stood in the open space between the counter and the door. Yugi pounded down the stairs behind him, jumping from two above the bottom to run behind the counter. "Grandpa!"

"I'm fine, Yugi." Yami tipped his head to the side, catching a glimpse through the glass of the counter of Yugi helping his grandfather off the ground. A laugh from the man made him turn back around, clenching his hands into fists by his side.

"**Hello again, Atemu.**" Yami froze at the familiar voice, forcing himself not to flinch back. He glared back at the man, nearly growling as the man laughed again. "**I thought there would be a more welcome greeting. Don't you remember me?**"

"How could I forget? You haunted my dreams for months. Haven't you had enough of me?"

"**Look beyond the voice, Atemu. I know you can. Here is someone who has searched for you for years.**"

Yami froze, finally taking a step back. He continued to back away as the man twitched, one hand to cover up his head, mostly falling over one eye. The man pitched forward, shaking as he seemed to gain control of himself. Yami reached back for Yugi with one hand, feeling his fingers brush against Yugi's when the man straightened up. "Atemu."

He felt Yugi's hand slide into his, aware that he was beginning to tremble himself. Yugi wrapped his other arm around Yami's waist for support. The man seemed to not see this, instead taking slow steps toward the two teens.

"Atemu. I thought that the voice was lying. I talked to some people, they said you were dead." Yami felt Yugi flinch behind him. The man was now a step away, and he had stopped, the smile on his face collapsing. "Don't you recognize me, Atemu? I'm your uncle."

"My…uncle…"

The man nodded, the smile flickering back to his face. "Yes. You look so much like your father, Atemu. I wanted to find all of you and bring you back home, but you had all died. You're the only one left to me. Tell me you're not just a cruel trick that the voice is playing on me."

"Uncle?" Yami sagged back into Yugi, letting the smaller teen take most of his weight. His mind refused to comprehend the concept. He had gotten used to the idea that all of his blood relations had died; gotten used to the family that he had put together. If any of his true family had shown up, it would be too late, he had already moved on.

"Yes, Atemu. I…" The man stiffened again, trembling in place before his head snapped forward, chin resting on his chest. Yami was about to move forward when the man looked up. "**That's enough of the family reunion I think. Don't worry; I would never hurt the host that keeps me here. Now, for my demands.**"

The man rolled his shoulders, the cracking sound setting Yami's teeth on edge. He chuckled at that, leaning forward to caress Yami's cheek. Unable to move much, Yami flinched backward, gasping as the tips of the man's fingers grazed his cheek. "**Get me that book, Atemu. Find it for me and no one will be hurt.**"

"What?" Yami saw the slight tilt to the man's body, the motion answering his question. He gripped Yugi's arm and hauled him to the shop door, which was still wide open. They both looked out, Yugi gasping as he saw the figures that were being restrained just outside his door. Yami lunged for Yugi, holding him close as he glared angrily back inside. "What is this about?"

"**Just what I want.**" The man strolled forward, leaning against the doorway. "**I know that you can find that book if given the proper…encouragement. And here it is. Find it for me and these people will not come to harm. These people and the orphans.**"

"No." The word came out as a growl, Yami turning to step towards the man, keeping on hand on Yugi so the teen wouldn't be snatched away from him too.

"**Oh yes, Atemu. Anything to get you where I want you. Now bring me that book!**" The man leapt for Yugi who Yami yanked out of the way, running in the opposite direction with Yugi in tow.

"Let me go!" The teen struggled in his hold, looking back to the shop. "I have to go back for my grandpa!"

"Yugi, I promise that we will get them all back." Yami glanced back at the teen, noticing the tears that were starting to form in the violet eyes. "But we need to be safe to save them. I won't let that thing take you."

"But they-"

"Trust me, aibou!" Yami gave Yugi a pleading look, wanting him to understand why he was doing this. He wanted to keep Yugi by his side to keep him away from any revenge that Noa had planed out. Everything else would fall into place, but Yugi came first.

Yugi gave a grim nod and struggled to keep up with Yami, never removing his hand from the grasp of the taller teen. "I believe you, Yami."

Yami merely nodded at the motion, giving Yugi's hand a squeeze before he clutched his chest with the other hand. He slowed his run, leaning over to gasp for breath as his heart stuttered, heard the ticking from the watch break rhythm. He swayed in place, reaching for the watch, oblivious to Yugi's panicked shouts of his name.

The watch burned his hand, the gold seeming to glow with otherworldly light. Trying to draw in even breaths, Yami opened the watch, narrowing his eyes against the flow of golden light that spilled from it. "Atemu!"

He recognized the voice of the angel, but snarled as he did so. There was no time for this. "Not now, Isis!" He screamed at the watch before snapping it shut and starting to run again, outstripping the confused Yugi as he headed for the bridge.

It was his fault all of this was happening. If he had just gone out with Ryou to search, they could have found the book that much faster, and Yugi's friends and family wouldn't have had to get involved. Ryou wouldn't have been stuck in his current crisis. Yami wouldn't be in danger of breaking Yugi's heart along with his own. And the orphans wouldn't be in danger.

* * *

Bakura winced at the sound of another body impacting against the door, keeping his temper in check so he wouldn't shove the kid that was currently latched onto him away. The blue haired child let out a whimper, ducking his head as the pounding continued. Bakura rolled his eyes and looked around the room, easily locating Marik and Ryou.

They had all snuck into the church through a window and the use of Bakura's skills. Malinda had barricaded herself and her charges in the room, the only thing she could do against the assault until help came. The woman herself was holding the big dog that had been given to them two years ago by the collar. Bakura shifted a little closer to the wall as he stared at the white snarling dog.

He looked up as Ryou shuffled back to his side, jerking his head in the direction of the small spiral staircase that led to the roof. "There is a way out down that, but it would be hard for some of the kids."

"Saving that for plan B?" Ryou nodded in response to his question, absently standing up to look out of the window. He winced before kneeling back down, shaking his head to the unasked question. There was no other way out of the room. Malinda had been correct in thinking that her charges would be safer if she had a fortified room. Unfortunately, the only room in any condition for a siege was one on the second floor.

The door rattled again at another impact, making Bakura grit his teeth as he came to a decision. They had run out of time. The door wouldn't hold much longer. He glanced over at Ryou. "Divide them into four groups and we'll send one of us down with each of them. Tell Malinda to get ready to let Sky go."

Ryou scrambled off, letting Bakura slide from his position to nod at Marik. The Egyptian returned with one of his crazed smile, understanding what Bakura wanted to do. As soon as they were safely on the ground, Marik and Bakura would be the ones to guard the retreat, a job that they both thoroughly enjoyed. Anything to get back at Noa, or whoever this goon was.

Bakura moved soundlessly out of the way as Malinda went past, nearly being dragged to the door by Sky as she readied the distraction. Carefully, she opened the door, giving all in the room a glimpse of the two thugs who were getting ready for another run at the door. Noa was in the hallway too.

There was no mistaking the person; no one could mimic the way Noa stood. Bakura thought the position must have been patented to the Kaiba family. No one else could stand as straight as a rod for hours without any sign of pain. The blue eyes sparkled maliciously as he got a glimpse into the room. "Are you ready to surrender?"

Bakura was about to shout back an answer, only to be beaten by Malinda. The usually gentle woman glared at Noa and let go of the dog's collar screaming, "Bastard!" as Sky raced out into the hallway.

The door slammed shut in the next moment, the only sound getting through were the growls of the dog as she went on her mission. Bakura jumped away from the wooden structure and ran for the spiral stairs, motioning for the first group to go up. Ryou nodded to the kids, dashing up the rickety staircase before them to wait by the one window up in the tower.

Bakura found himself helping kids up, listening to their frightened mutters as Ryou assisted them out onto the roof. He snarled at Marik as the Egyptian teasingly held out his hand to be helped up the steps when the last group had left. Bakura waved him on, having to lift one of the smaller children up into Marik's arms before the Egyptian was away.

The door rattled again, Malinda jumping at the sound. She looked over at Bakura, trembling in fear, the only outward sign of her true feelings on the situation. "They're still going."

"I know." Bakura craned his head up, catching a flash of platinum blonde as Marik lifted kids out onto the roof. "Hurry up!"

Without waiting for the response, Bakura motioned Malinda to go on, keeping a careful eye on the door. His attention was distracted when a girl with her brown hair in two braids tugged at his pant leg. "Will Sky be alright?"

"The dog is fine." Bakura gently pushed her away, realizing that he had voluntarily left himself alone with a bunch of scared kids. He looked over all of them, unsure of what to do. The next bang on the door decided for him. "Everybody, up the stairs!"

The thief bounced in place, torn between hurrying the kids up the stairs and making sure they got up safely. He rolled his eyes as he saw two attempting to bring their toy motorcycles with them, stuffing them into their pockets under his glare. Bakura swung himself onto the metal structure just as the door gave up the fight, swinging open to reveal a harried group of thugs.

His view was blocked in the next minute as he ran up the stairs, skipping steps when he could and hurrying the kids along. He reached the tower just as Malinda disappeared through the window. His six charges immediately began to follow, one kid in a red jacket having to encourage the blue haired child from before every step of the way.

"It's alright Syrus. Just don't look down."

"Hurry up!"

"Shut up, Chazz!" The kid in the red jacket rounded on the other, the effect of his glare ruined by the stuffed toy that he had a firm hold on. The kid looked down quickly, judging the distance before shouting to the group below. "Someone catch Martin!"

Bakura shook his head as he watched the kid drop the brown fur ball into the arms of the blonde boy. The white haired thief vaulted himself over the sill and clambered down quickly after the others, landing on the rooftop blow in a crouch. A glare gathered up the kids before he started moving them down the roof, only daring to look back up at the window when they were moving safely.

Noa's face appeared in the window for a moment, blue eyes flashing in anger before he disappeared again, obviously trying to cut them off. Bakura glanced back at his charges, urging them to go faster as they reached their way off the room. The thief groaned as he saw the final part of their escape.

A vine. Ryou had his whole plan hinged on a growth of vine on the side of the old church. Bakura rolled his eyes and motioned for the group to keep on going, noticing that the fur ball was returned to its original owner.

To distract himself from the slow progress of the six children under his care, Bakura glanced out at the yard, watching the straggling line disappear into the city. He could see Marik hiding by the wall, waiting for him so that they could bring up the rear. The thief nodded to the Egyptian before swinging onto the vine himself and clambering down.

The kids took a single look at him before they took off running after the others, breaking from the shadow of the church wall at the same time that Noa and his thugs barged out into the daylight again. Bakura froze where he was, letting Marik run a few more strides as he turned to confront them. Unfortunately, the plan went wrong.

Instead of going for the two obviously lingering behind, as they thought that Noa would, the thugs kept running after the kids. Bakura turned on his heel, sprinting back toward the line. But the thugs had a head start on him, and the kids couldn't run as fast as their older counterparts. He let out a curse as the first of the thugs reached out, snatching up the kid in the red jacket.

The kid screamed, turning to kick at his attacker in an attempt to break free. Bakura cursed again as two others from the group turned at the sound, dropping their escape attempt to run back toward the captive. Bakura was nearing the group when he was punched to the side; the air rushing out of him as one of Noa's thugs easily shoved him out of the way. A grunt from the side told him that Marik had gotten the same treatment.

The white haired thief clambered to his feet, only to be restrained. He snarled as Noa strolled past, walking over to their captive and plucking the fur ball from the kid's grasp. The kid gasped and renewed his struggles, one hand reaching for the stuffed toy. "Give him back!"

Noa chuckled, motioning for one thug to move up beside him before he reached out for the knife in the thug's belt. The kid gave a scream of rage as Noa held the knife over the fur ball, stepping away. "Why should I? Is it because Atemu will come and stop me?"

The kid stopped struggling at the name, brown eyes going wide as tears formed in them. Noa smirked, a little chuckle escaping him. "He isn't? Why not? Who will save you all from me?"

"I will!"

His laugh was cut off by a curse as a card knocked into his hand, falling harmlessly to the ground. Bakura glanced over, surprised to see the blonde kid in sweats glaring daggers at Noa and his hand held out for the next round of ammunition. Noa was glaring back at the kid, looking at the stuffed toy he held hostage before he threw it down to the ground.

The two would-be heroes turned to run, only one escaping as Noa grabbed the back of the blonde's sweats, pulling him off the ground. The aqua haired teen glared at the kid before raising the knife that he held in one hand. "Then would you like to follow Atemu? I'm sure he would want a friend with him."

The kid whimpered and flinched back, eyes looking frantically around for help. Bakura strained forward against his hold, his head turning only when another grunt drew his attention. Marik was down again, pressed against the ground by a boot. The thief snarled and turned to look at Noa, ready to shout when a voice beat him to it.

"Let Jack go!"

* * *

_Here is the return of all the orphans from before, because they were just too much fun to write in the first one. And so it begins…_

_Read and review. Criticism is always welcome._


	10. Chapter 10

**11/25/09-**Someone found a typo. The existence of said typo annoyed me so much that I had to go and fix it. Sorry for any confusion.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. I own everything in between, including one OC.

**

* * *

Chapter Ten**

Bakura turned his head so fast he felt a twinge of pain in his neck. His mouth dropped open as he saw an all too familiar figure racing toward them. Noa too seemed to be shocked, because he allowed Yami to barrel into him, easily knocking the teen to the ground and pinning the hand with the knife to the ground. Bakura felt his hands drop back to his sides as he was released, but was too shocked to move.

Yami looked up from his captive, glancing up to glare at the man who still held the kid in the red jacket. The thug immediately dropped the kid, backing away from the angry red eyes. Jack and the other kid immediately moved to stand by Yami, looking away as he turned the glare on them. The look softened for a moment before the tri-color haired teen turned his attention back to the thugs. "Yugi, get Jack, Jaden and Yusei to safety."

Bakura snapped out of his shocked as he saw Yugi appear, the smaller teen shooing the kids off and retrieving the dropped card and stuffed toy. The tableau held until they were far enough away, then Yami stood up, reaching back down to grab Noa's collar and haul him upright. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Merely making sure that my employer gets the best service he can. I assume that you got the message that he sent to you." Noa winced as he was shaken roughly, head snapping back and forth. Bakura shook his head at the foolhardy words; even he knew not to mess with the Pharaoh when he was in this mood.

Disgusted, Yami threw Noa to the side. The aqua haired teen gingerly rubbed his neck before smirking up at Yami. "Heaven didn't get rid of that temper, Atemu. You'd better be careful about that. They'd never make you a guardian angel with that."

He gasped as Yami gave him a rough kick in the side, quickly backing himself off as he reestablished the hold on his temper. Bakura was almost tempted to go and hold Yami back, but the appearance of the teen was troubling him. Yami was dead, they all knew this. So why was he here?

Noa was looking at something over beyond Yami when Bakura withdrew from his thoughts. The thief knew that the smirk meant nothing good. Yami seemed to reach the same conclusion as Bakura, because they turned around at the same time to look as thugs corralled Yugi and the kids he was guarding.

Yami, Marik and Bakura all lunged into a run, trying to make it to the small group before they were overpowered. Through the ring of thugs, Bakura got glimpses of Yugi as the smaller teen put up a fight, nearly clearing a hole before the thugs overpowered him. The thief stumbled as Yami shoved past him, the vicious motion brought about by the sight of Yugi being slung over the shoulder of a thug.

The thugs were away with their hostages before the three could even reach them, Marik and Bakura stopping to gasp for air as Yami staggered a few more steps before coming to a stop. Bakura looked up, watching the teen tremble with anger as Noa caught up with his gang, giving the three a cheery wave before calling, "Get me that book, Atemu, and I promise no harm will come to them!"

Silence descended over the group, Marik and Bakura edging a bit away from Yami. A single look at the Egyptian assured Bakura that Marik was thinking on the same lines as he was. Why was Yami even here to start with? And how did he get Yugi from Domino without his grandfather?

Their confused musing was shattered, along with the silence, as Malinda and Ryou rushed up, the British teen stopping by Yami's side as Malinda remained a good distance away. The young woman looked very confused, staring at Yami with growing fear. The object of their collective stares didn't seem to notice.

"Ryou, where were you sensing the book?" Yami looked out of the corner of his eye at the white haired teen. Ryou pointed in the direction of the market, taking a few steps in that direction. Yami followed along, stopping to make eye contact with Malinda. "I'll get them back."

"Yami…what…" Bakura noticed the wince that passed over Yami's features and the movement of his hand to the watch that dangled around his neck; the piece nearly identical to the one that hung around Ryou's neck. Instead of trying to reassure the young woman, Yami jogged off, Ryou running a little bit ahead of him.

Bakura stood up straight, expecting to have an explanation demanded of him. Instead, Malinda just shot him a helpless look before walking back to the nervous group of children. The thief envied her for a moment for having something else to worry about instead of trying to sort out the mystery of Yami.

He shot a look at Marik before running to catch up to Yami. The Egyptian caught up with him. "What do we do now?"

"We follow him and figure out what is going on. And then, we demand answers." Bakura gave his curt answer, a glare reinforcing the fact that he didn't want to talk. He turned his gaze back to Yami and Ryou ahead of them, narrowing his eyes at the back of the tri-color haired teen. He wanted Ryou to be safe, outside of all these weird things happening. He thought he had lost him once and he didn't want to lose him again.

* * *

Yugi grunted as he was shoved into the dim warehouse, catching himself at the last minute before he fell on the concrete floor. He turned his head to glare at the thugs, reaching out to steady Jaden as the younger boy was tossed after him. Keeping one hand on Jaden's shoulder, Yugi stood up to face the thugs.

His brave face faltered as he found himself facing Noa instead of one of the men who had brought him in. Yugi took a step back, pushing Jaden behind him as the aqua haired teen advanced. For a moment, Yugi was back in the _Baroness_, waiting for his next round of intimidation.

But Yami was out there. Yugi shook his head, clearing from his mind the clinging memories of the old steamboat. They were gone and buried in the mud of the river. He pulled himself up, imitating Yami's posture. Which Noa laughed over, finally having to stumble over to a few crates to hold himself upright.

"Look boys, this one thinks he's Atemu!" Yugi slumped a bit as he looked around, wincing as the thugs broke into stuttering laughter. He felt Jaden tense up behind him and shot the boy a look that told him to stay back. Another round of laughter drew his attention back to Noa. The aqua haired teen had recovered from his laughter to stroll back over. "Do you think Atemu will come and rescue you?"

"Yes." Yugi flinched back as the laughter started again, his eyes narrowing in anger. He turned around and motioned for Yusei and Jack to follow him. Yugi stopped as Noa pressed a hand into his shoulder, pulling him back for a moment.

"Don't hold Atemu to that, brat. He abandoned you once, and he will again. How long did it take you to forgive him?"

Yugi shrugged off the arm, glaring at Noa and about to respond. The aqua haired teen motioned, cutting off Yugi's retort. The smaller teen spun around at the sound of struggles and curses as four other people were dragged into view. Yugi's eyes widened as he recognized the man who walked at the head of the group, Yami's uncle smirking at him as he stepped to one side.

"**Hello, Yugi. It's good to see you again.**" The man walked over to Yugi, the intense red-tinted stare keeping him in place. The teen shivered as Yami's uncle knelt before him and ran a hand down Yugi's arm, the motion making Yugi gasp and try to run away. The hand clamped down on his arm, pulling him toward the group as he stood up. Shrieks sounded from behind Yugi as thugs picked up the three kids and walked to the group, throwing them in the general direction of the hostages. Atemu's uncle held Yugi back from rushing forward, laughing coldly at the panic that showed in the teen's eyes. "**I know that Noa is wrong.**"

"What?"

"**Atemu will come, because we have all that he holds dear. Those orphaned brats, your friends, and most importantly you. The one person that he would give up his life for.**" Yugi shuddered at the hungry look that the man shot him as he said that last sentence. "**You should have heard him begging when he first came to me. Oh how far the mighty Pharaoh had fallen. And all because of one scheme gone wrong.**"

"What do you mean?" Yugi pulled away from the man's hold, backing into the group of his friends. He wanted to be surrounded by people he could trust, not out in the open with the man who glared at him. He wanted to be able to protect those he loved, just in case Yami was late.

He felt Tèa reach out and brush his hand as Yami's uncle threw back his head and laughed. The man turned to look at Noa. "**Dismiss your servants; Atemu comes to claim his friends,**" Yugi tried to match the glare that was sent his way as the man turned back around, "**and his little lover.**"

* * *

"It was here." Yami gave a stiff nod at Ryou's order, already feeling that something was off. Something was here that didn't belong, and all his instincts were telling him to get away from the place. He began pacing the area, one hand holding the watch out of habit. He could still hear the steady tick of the watch as it measured out the seconds of his life, every one spent in frantic planning.

Ryou would kill him if he figured out what Yami was planning. And Yami didn't blame him, because it could get them both sent to hell if the plan went wrong. He was hoping that he could send Ryou away with Marik and Bakura and just try this on his own. It was the only way he could be sure that none of his friends would be penalized for his actions.

He threw a glance over his shoulder as Bakura and Marik came running up to them, stopping where Ryou was standing and fiddling nervously with his watch. Yami turned around to walk backward and meet the accusing glare that Bakura was shooting him. He opened his arms to demand Bakura to speak when his heart stopped for a moment.

The tri-color haired teen gasped and fell to his knees, a hand closing over the watch as the metal burned. Yami fell forward, barely catching himself with one hand as he gasped for air, trembling as none came. He could hear Ryou calling his name in the distance, barely aware of the hand that was resting on his shoulder.

Slowly, he was able to draw air into his lungs, the ticking of the watch slowing down again. Laboriously sitting back up, Yami flipped open the watch, eyes focusing on the flashing center. "What Isis?"

"I tried to contact you earlier! What made you break the connection?"

"We ran into a bit of trouble." Yami stood up, wincing as his muscles protested the move. He waved away Ryou's offer of help and began pacing the area again. He needed to find that book quickly, no matter what. No distractions.

"Atemu…Have you found the book yet?"

"On the trail."

"Just hurry up. There have been signs that…"

"I know that thing is here." Yami snapped at the watch, holding back a curse as he lost the trail, having to backtrack again. "It took over a man who claims to be my uncle. And it took prisoners. I really don't have time for this now."

Isis was silent for a while, the middle of the watch gently pulsing for a moment before the angel sighed. "Alright Atemu."

The glow faded, leaving Yami standing in the middle of a street. He sighed, shutting the watch and dropping it to dangle around his neck and taking a step forward. The feeling disappeared again, leaving him casting around frantically as he tried to find it again. He growled to himself as he stomped back to where he had lost it, glaring at Marik as the Egyptian opened his mouth to speak.

While Marik didn't want to broach the subject, Bakura had no such qualms, the thief crossing his arms and glaring at Yami. "I was right that there was something wrong with you after the incident with the car."

"Not now, Bakura."

"You were _dead_, Yami. I saw the _Baroness_ go down with my own eyes and you never came out. What do you expect me to do, accept it like nothing happened?"

"You did it the first time!" Yami spun around, backing up until he lost the feeling. "You even accepted Ryou without a question."

"Ryou is different. Ryou is-"

"As dead as I am, Bakura." Yami spat out a curse as the lost the feeling again, pacing around in a circle until he found it again. He glanced up at Bakura, noticing the anger that the other teenager displayed, but decided it was not important at the moment. Saving Yugi and the others was. "Now-"

The air was pushed out of him as Bakura tackled him to the ground. He struggled before the thief forced Yami to look at him. They remained like that, Bakura pinning Yami to the ground as they both panted for air. "We mourned for you. Our lives were _shattered_ when you died, both times! And you could have popped back to life any time you liked! And Yugi…"

Bakura leaned back as Yami winced, the tri-color haired teen knowing that he had given away something by the shocked look in the thief's russet eyes. "Yugi believed that you were still alive. Ryou told me that. And I bet he still doesn't know. I thought you loved him."

Yami snarled and pushed the thief off his chest, clambering to his feet and stumbling away as he glared at Bakura in anger. Marik chose this moment to interject his own thoughts into the conversation. "You mean that little look-alike that answered the door?"

"Yes." Yami spun around to glare at Ryou as he joined in on the conversation, silently begging the British teen to say nothing else. But Ryou shook his head, the even stare he sent Yami enough to make him stumble back a few more steps. Even his best friend was turning on him now. "And even though you know we are going back, you still encourage him. What are you doing to him, Yami?"

"Going back?"

Yami ignored Bakura's surprised mumble, turning to face Ryou. "I told you that it was a bad idea going to Yugi's house in the first place. What did you expect me to do? Just pretend that I didn't spend every second in heaven thinking about him? Leave everything I said to him as a joke? What if we had gone back to our house as I had suggested, could you have just left everything as it was?"

"Yami…"

"No, Ryou. I don't think so. And don't tell me what I'm doing is wrong. I know it's wrong! I know that it could end up breaking him, but I can't help it. I don't want to waste what time I could have had with him because I was afraid of what would happen in the end! I know that it will end up breaking his heart because it's breaking mine!"

Yami turned around, punching the wall of the building he was standing by as he forced himself to stop speaking. It would give away too much, cause his plan to go wrong if he continued. If any of them suspected…

He glanced up as he still felt the sense of something wrong where he stood. His eyes traveled over the building before he took a few steps back, looking up and down the street before rushing to the door of the place. He blinked rapidly to adjust his eyes to the darkness inside the building before he plunged in.

Yami stood just inside the doorway, staring at the wooden floor and the musty red rug that was resting on the floor, half of it dropping into a hole in the flooring. He remembered that hole, and where it led to. He remembered the horrors that were down there. But the feeling was leading him there, which could only mean one thing.

He stepped outside again, leveling a glare at his friends. "I found it."

Ryou was by his side in an instant, the distance that he kept between them saying enough. Ryou was willing to help him for now, because it would get him back to heaven, but he was unwilling to speak again. Yami shrugged as he turned to go back inside, not caring what the other two did.

He carefully made his way over to the carpet, wincing as a loud creak echoed through the condemned theater. He looked back over his shoulder, cursing as he saw Bakura and Marik skirting the weaker boards. "You shouldn't come."

Bakura nimbly leapt the last foot to the carpet, wrapping an arm around Ryou and pulling the British teen back to him. "I'm not letting him out of my sight."

Yami snorted and dismissively waved his hand before walking over to the hole in the floor. He hesitated on the edge for a moment, shivering before taking a deep breath and stepping into the open air. Instinct took over as he tried to balance, but Yami forced himself to fall, tumbling through the air and hitting the water on his back.

His eyes shot open and he whipped the watch from around his neck, keeping a tight hold on the chain as he shot back up to the surface, jumping away as Marik nearly landed on top of him. Yami waited until the blonde Egyptian had popped back up to the surface before calmly putting his watch back on. He glanced behind him at the dangling rug, smirking when he saw Ryou helping up a soaking wet Bakura.

The sound of sloshing water got his attention, the tri-color haired teen turning around to glare into the shadows as someone approached. His eyes narrowed as he began to see the outline of a person, crossing his arms irritably. "You've had it this entire time, haven't you."

The robed man stepped out into the circle of light, giving a quick nod of the head to Yami. "I have been keeping it safe for you, my pharaoh."

Yami rolled his eyes before motioning for the man to lead them on. He paused for a moment before retreating back into the darkness. Yami was about the follow when Ryou grabbed his arm, pulling him back for a second. "Can we trust him?"

He gave a shrug, the motion freeing him from Ryou's hold. Yami took a few steps forward, pausing when he didn't hear the sounds of the others following him. The tri-color haired teen turned around, glaring at the three of them. "You can stay here if you want, but I'm taking this chance. This man has the book and we can get it now. Then you can do what you want, Ryou."

The harsh glare that he sent to Ryou was enough to cause the British teen to quickly move to his side, brown eyes dropping to avoid the angry look that Bakura was giving him. Yami gave the others a quick look before following after the man, feeling like he was chasing a shadow as the man made sure to keep himself ahead of the two teens.

Yami didn't turn around to look as Marik and Bakura joined them, walking faster as Bakura moved to stand beside Ryou. Even now, he could feel their stares on his back, Marik's one of confusion and Bakura's one of anger. But he couldn't bring himself to care. If they weren't willing to accept him, it didn't matter to him. In a few hours, he would be gone again.

His heart clenched at the thought, his hand reaching for the watch around his neck. Yami tried to ignore the pain, just focusing on pushing forward. It was better to just follow his plan and try and forget about everything that was keeping him tied to this place. He closed his eyes for a moment, ready to write Yugi's face out of his memory. It's what he would have to do.

His eyes snapped back open as he ran into the man, glaring at him as the robed man gave a bow. "I'm sorry, my pharaoh."

An arm was raised from the man's side, gesturing to a platform above the water. The stone rose, two steps cut into the grey rock before it flattened out. On the surface, there was a table, a small and crude wooden one, serving only one purpose. From where he was standing, Yami could see some creamy pages and a flash of gold. He shivered as the feeling rolled through him again.

"The book waits for you there."

Yami pushed on, hearing the man stop the three others following him. He shrugged it off. He was alone in this venture anyway. He bounded up the two steps to the platform, reaching the book and staring at it.

It was just as he remembered; a hefty tome with a deep purple cover and gold embroidery on the cloth that made up the cover. He traced over a vine with a careful finger, his eyes avoiding the angels that frolicked on the cover. Impatient, Yami opened the book, his eyes widening as he read over the page in front of him, recognizing it as something from his own life.

He looked up, distracted, as Ryou spoke. "Who are you?"

The man in the robes gave the British teen a sidelong glance. "I am Shadi, the leader of those who guard the treasures of Domino."

"Treasures?"

"Anything and anyone the Pharaoh holds dear." Shadi tilted his head in Yami's direction before continuing. "We are the people who were not welcome in the main city, but found the life on the other side of the river something we were not suited to, so we went underground. We dedicated ourselves to helping the people of this facet of Domino, as the Pharaoh did on the surface. I personally care for that which the Pharaoh holds dear, like Yugi."

Yami almost slammed the book shut on his hand as he heard the name, a cold feeling beginning to form at the pit of his stomach. This had gone too far with these people. First they tested him for the state of his soul and then they watched over Yugi. He looked up abruptly as he felt Shadi staring at him. He shifted uncomfortably as the empty blue eyes stared at him.

"You merely gave us an outlet for our skills, my pharaoh. We existed in this exile long before you came here, but we are loyal to you to the end." Yami nodded faintly, turning his eyes back to the book. He had to keep himself from flinching, one hand moving to turn the page of the book as Shadi spoke again. "And we will do anything you ask, for the good of the people we all hold dear."

Yugi. The name sprang to Yami's mind as he turned the page, looking up to meet Shadi's eyes. He did not doubt the man's words, he was just cautious of the almost fanatical devotion he was receiving from this group. Cautiously, his hand reached for the watch that hung around his neck, noticing that Shadi's eyes followed the movement. Yami looked away, partially embarrassed at being caught in the motion. In doing so, his eyes landed on the page below him, skimming over the words without really reading them for the first moment.

His eyes widened as he began to absorb what the words were saying. He braced his hands on either side of the table, reading quickly over the page before him. His heart started to pound faster as he felt his mouth drop open. This couldn't be right. None of what he was reading could be right. He wouldn't let any of this to be right. He wouldn't let Noa get his slimy hands on his aibou again!

Yami snapped the book shut, snatching it up in one smooth movement. He stormed to the edge of the platform, glaring down at the robed man. Nothing in Shadi's demeanor showed that he had come across what Yami had read, but Yami didn't know how to read the man. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before allowing them to snap back open. "What is the fastest way to the docks from here?"

"I will show you." Yami jumped back into the water, holding the book slightly above his head so the splash wouldn't damage it, but he doubted that water could harm this book. Shadi waited until he was steady on his feet before turning and wading through the water in the opposite direction from where they had come from. Yami tucked the book under his arm, resolutely trudging after the man.

He could feel Ryou's searching eyes on his back, rolling his shoulders forward slightly to prevent the teen from asking any questions. The subtle hint worked because Yami heard Ryou start after him. The British teen probably assumed that Yami wanted to get out of the underground system before contacting Isis. Yami sighed, slumping forward before picking himself back up.

Only Shadi noticed his change in posture, moving from the shadows to cautiously walk beside the teen. Yami shot him an annoyed look before glancing back to the book, his fingers drumming nervously on the cover.

"Whatever you are planning, I am sorry that Ammut will not be able to accompany us." Yami glanced up at Shadi, unsure if the man was joking or not. He looked back down, staring at the water as he bit his lip.

"Were you able to read anything?"

"No." Yami looked back up, staring at the dark water that shifted around them. He shivered, one hand reaching up to hold onto the watch that dangled around his neck.

"No matter what, make sure that Yugi makes it out safely."

"Yes, my pharaoh."

* * *

Ryou let them travel in silence for a while, making sure to keep a good distance between the three of them and Yami. He would leave the tri-color haired teen to come to terms with the fact that he would be leaving soon. They had the book after all, it would only be a matter of time before they would go back.

He squeezed the hand that was held in his own, taking a calming breath as Bakura turned his head to look at him. It was now or never. Ryou gave a weak smile and brushed his free hand over Bakura's arm.

"Ryou?"

"I have to go back, Bakura."

"Back…" The thief stared at him with incomprehension before his hand suddenly tightened around Ryou's. The British teen didn't have time to protest the move before Bakura spoke again. "You mean to…you can't… you just got back."

"But I don't belong here." Ryou forced himself to look at the hurt russet eyes. "Bakura, I _died_. It's not right. And my family is waiting for me up there."

"They would want you be happy." The words were murmured, but Ryou still heard them. He slapped Bakura's arm, the rebuke not being as sharp as he wanted it to be.

"Don't say that. And it's out of their hands."

"Can't you find a way to stay?" It was surprising to hear the pleading note in Bakura's voice, the tone almost undoing Ryou.

"No. I don't know what they would do to me, or Yami." Bakura scoffed at the mention of their friend's name, rolling his eyes. Ryou decided to ignore the disregard to Yami for the moment, allowing the thief to be mad at Yami for lying to them before. He still wasn't sure that he forgave Yami for lying to him, but he agreed that there was no good way to tell them.

He let the conversation drift into silence, only looking back up when the area surrounding them began to lighten up. Ryou blinked against the light, seeing Yami framed in the sunlight as he turned to talk to Shadi before stepping out into the sun. Ryou tugged his hand from Bakura and rushed up to stand beside his friend. He didn't want to be held back when the time came because he wouldn't struggle to be let go.

Ryou stepped out into the sunlight, raising one hand to shield his eyes for a moment before searching for Yami. He found the teen staring at a page in the book before opening his watch to consult the face before muttering a low curse and letting the watch fall back to his chest. He snapped the book shut as Ryou walked up beside him, not bothering to look up at the teen as Ryou offered a wavering smile.

"So, when do we leave?"

"Not now. I have to get Yugi."

Ryou's smile dissolved instantly, one hand reaching out to grab Yami as the teen stepped to the side. He followed Yami, stepping around him to look him in the eyes. He couldn't hold Yami's gaze, the crimson eyes refusing to look at Ryou directly. The British teen lunged for Yami, grabbing hold of his shoulders. "No. We go now."

"Not until we get Yugi." Yami looked up, the anger in his red eyes nearly making Ryou back up. The white haired teen held his ground, fighting the instinct to run as he continued to meet Yami's glare.

"Yami, they won't let any of them go unless you have something to exchange." He looked down as Yami moved his arm a bit, allowing Ryou to get a glimpse of the book that he held there before he shifted it back. The simple motion shocked Ryou, making him rock back onto his heels, shaking his head. "No. Absolutely not."

"We're not going back until they are free."

"And I won't let you do this!" Ryou shoved Yami back, too infuriated to notice that Yami was allowing Ryou to back him into the wall of the nearest building. The British teen slammed his friend back, smiling at the wince that passed over Yami's face before he turned his head aside, letting his blonde bangs cover his eyes. "I want to go back and they won't let me without that book and you!"

"And we will, as soon as we free them."

"And then you'll come up with another excuse to stay!" Ryou fought the urge to throw his hands into the air, knowing that Yami would slip away from him if he was let go of. "No, we are going now. Bakura and Marik can handle this."

"I promised Yugi-"

"I don't care about the brat!" Ryou felt Yami stiffen under his hold, but plunged on anyway, too frustrated to care. "Why don't you want to go back? It's perfect up there and I'm sure your precious angel will arrive eventually. Until then, just wait. No more struggles, no more pain; who wouldn't want that?"

"Not me!"

"Why not then?!" Ryou gave a cold laugh, some distant part of his brain telling him that he sounded like Bakura. "Tell me, Atemu, because I feel that I have a right to know. I thought you would be happy because you could be with your family again, or do you still hate them for abandoning you?"

"They never abandoned me!" Yami turned his head, snapping out the words as he glared at Ryou. "I walked out on them! Did you expect me to stay there and watch them starve knowing that I could make it on my own?! It was for the best for all of us!"

"So? You get the chance to see them all again!"

"No!" Yami snarled, pulling himself up to his full height to meet Ryou's gaze evenly. "Angels don't look too kindly on suicide cases, so my sister is beyond our reach. And my parents don't talk to me. They think that I should have watched her better, and I should have! But there was nothing I could do and now I'm paying for it with every second of my afterlife.

"So, no Ryou, there is no reason for me to go back to that place. There is not a single moment of my afterlife that I have enjoyed since reaching heaven and there will never be a second that I will enjoy until Yugi reaches heaven. And what's to say that he will not have forgotten me by then? Who's to say that the other angels won't tell them about what I've been through, since they obviously don't even trust me with minor tasks? What do I do then, Ryou? What can you do when the pain will _never_ go away because you are already dead?! Do you have a brilliant plan for that?"

Ryou let go of Yami in shock, stumbling back a few steps. He didn't even realize that Bakura had wrapped his arms around his waist, just leaning back into the other teen on instinct. He was too busy staring at Yami as the teen tried to regain control of his breathing after venting his frustrations.

Yami glanced down at the book he held before shaking his head. Ryou cautiously reached out a hand before drawing it back, watching as Yami pressed himself further against the wall to get away from the proposed contact. The British teen lowered his eyes to his feet, still assimilating everything that Yami had said. To have one's parents hate them, and know that they were in heaven with him…it was impossible to fully understand. He would have thought the joy of seeing one of their children again would have overridden that feeling of disappointment, or even given Yami a brief window to explain…

Ryou looked up shyly, shaking his head. "I don't understand. How could they?"

"I was able to do what my sister could not. And I was too preoccupied with myself to save her." Yami slammed a fist into the wall behind him, letting his head fall back to the wall when that didn't seem to ease the tension. "But I didn't even think that I would be saved."

"Yami…your sister…" Ryou snuggled back against Bakura, shivering as the implication finally made sense to him. Of course the angels didn't look kindly on those who took their own life. Wasn't it considered a waste of the gift that life was? So the only other alternative was hell.

Almost afraid to get the answer, Ryou spoke again. "Why don't the other angels trust you?"

The laugh that Yami gave alone was enough to make Ryou want to run away. The British teen flinched back, feeling Bakura's arms tighten around him as Yami took a step forward, one hand cradling the watch around his neck. "That car was supposed to kill me, Ryou. You read what it had done to me. Could you imagine that anyone survived that? Care to elaborate for Bakura and Marik?"

Ryou swallowed harshly, knowing that question was really an order. He turned to look at Bakura, catching a glimpse of Marik out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't used to this side of Yami. Usually he was safely on Yami's side when he vented his temper. But he wasn't as lucky this time. "Broken neck, broken ribs, pierced lung. But…unconscious on impact, so he just drowned."

"Good." Yami chuckled to himself, still holding the watch. "But I wasn't willing to just give up like that. And I came back for all of you, because _I_ wasn't ready to let go. So I stole this watch and restarted my life. I damned myself to hell for you three!"

Ryou gasped and turned to tuck his head against Bakura, not wanting to see Yami anymore. He whimpered when he realized that he could still hear him. "And when the _Baroness_ went down, that's where I went. But, because I begged and pleaded, I was able to see Yugi and you again, Ryou. And that's where heaven decided to interfere. I was allowed back because I died trying to save Yugi. But that wasn't enough for some of the angels.

"Did you ever find it strange that all of them avoided me? Or were you too busy with your little reunion? They can't stand the sight of me because, to them, I deserve to stay in hell. What do you think, Ryou? Do you agree with them?"

"Yami." There was a warning tone in Bakura's voice, the interruption by another person seeming to calm the tri-color haired teen. Ryou finally turned his head to see Yami backing up until he was pressed against the wall again, staring at the watch that was held in his hand. He looked up at Ryou, the abrupt change from fury to sorrow startling the British teen.

"And the sad thing is, I'm ready to do it again, Ryou. I'm always ready to sacrifice my eternal happiness for all of you." The hand tightened around the watch as Yami looked up. Ryou slowly began to work himself from Bakura's embrace as he read Yami's emotions. The teen smiled and shook his head. "Not this time, Ryou. Don't worry, you'll get the book back and I'll return, like they want me to. But just allow me my bit of heaven before I go back to hell."

Before Ryou could protest, Yami was running toward the docks, book still in his hands. Ryou stared after his friend for a moment, his own hand brushing over the watch that hung around his neck. It didn't even take a moment of thought before Ryou was ready to run after him.

He took a single step before he was yanked back, Bakura holding onto his arm. Ryou thought he saw panic in the russet eyes before the thief calmed himself down. "Let him get into trouble this time."

Ryou smiled and allowed himself to be pulled back, brushing a hand over Bakura's shoulder before giving the thief a kiss. "I would, if I didn't understand why he was doing this. But I do."

He pulled away and sprinted after his friend, letting the implied 'And I would too' hang in the air.

* * *

_Read and review. Criticism, as always, is welcome._


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. I do own everything in between.

**Warning:** Character death.

**

* * *

Chapter Eleven**

Yugi leaned into his grandfather, watching as Jaden flinched backwards as Noa walked by them. The small teen opened up his arms, inviting the kid to cuddle close to him, still holding his stuffed toy. Yugi rested his chin on top of Jaden's head, his eyes moving to keep watch of Jack and Yusei, who were moving closer now that Jaden had vacated his prime spot next to Yugi. He smiled at the actions of the children, looking back at Jaden. The youngest was morosely playing with the white wings on the back of his Kuriboh. "Yugi, will Yami come to save us?"

"Yes." Yugi resettled Jaden on his lap with a smile. "Of course he will. Just give him time."

Jaden nodded, looking back down at his toy. "It's just that Martin is scared."

"Then tell Martin that Yami is coming to save us. And he doesn't have to worry."

Yugi looked over at his grandfather as the elderly man chuckled at his statement. Solomon Mutou merely shrugged, still holding back laughter. "I remember when you wouldn't let your own Kuriboh toy out of your sight."

He blushed and looked away, trying to distract himself by keeping an eye on the three children. Yugi jumped when Solomon touched his shoulder, his grandfather whispering now. "But why are those three here, Yugi? Shouldn't they be at home with their parents? Or at an orphanage?"

The last question was added when Yugi tensed under his hand. The smaller teen turned slightly, finding that his three friends were watching him with interest too. "Well, they do have a home, but it's here."

"But this is no place…"

"They were born here and they are protected here. Yami makes sure they get everything they need and some of the other casino owners help out. He says that it's better for them here than in Domino."

"But why? Yugi this is no place to raise a child!"

"Because the orphanages in Domino are what killed my niece." The captives looked up at Yami's uncle, surprised that the hostile manner was suddenly gone from him. Yugi shifted Jaden to the side, ready to stand up and protect the kids. He had seen this before. Something was controlling the man, allowing him to come out every once and a while, but that thing would be back soon.

He shivered as Yami's uncle looked at him, not sure how to read the dark blue eyes. The man walked forward, stopping a few feet from the captive. "I found out that she was in the system for a few years, but that was enough to convince her that she was worthless. That's what you think of people from this side of the river, that they are worthless scum who will grow up to plague you."

"**Enough, puppet.**" The man shuddered as the thing took control of him again, steering him away from the group and to where Noa stood. Yugi took the moment to glare at the aqua haired teen before looking back at his grandfather and friends, who were all looking down at the concrete floor.

Yugi let them have their moment, letting them adjust to the sudden intrusion on their way of thinking. It was different for him; he had not grown up here and learned that the people across the river were liars and thieves. He had seen the hidden side of the slums, and found that he enjoyed the people there, sometimes more than the people who came from the city itself.

He cast another look at his friends before a chuckle from Noa attracted his attention. The leer that the aqua haired teen gave him and the three kids that were sitting close to him spurred Yugi into action. He was getting up when Noa's pose shifted, the slight change enough to stop Yugi's movement.

"Eager to be employed again, brat?" Noa chuckled at Yugi's glare. "I might be merciful and take you back to help restart my casino. You and those three. Any kid trained by Atemu must be good at games."

Jaden gave a whimper and tucked his head into Yugi's side. Yusei and Jack attempted to meet the aqua haired teen's stare, but ended up shifting closer to Yugi; Jack's hand straying toward the card that Yusei still held in his hand.

"Stop it, Noa!" Yugi yelled at the teen, his vision of his former employer blocked for a moment as Tèa moved to sit beside him, offering herself as a place to hide from Noa. Yugi gave her a grateful smile before returning his glare to Noa, hoping that the aqua haired teen would back down.

"Yugi," the soft voice from his side drew his attention to Tèa, "is that him?"

He nodded, sensing the shift in the group of captives change from protecting themselves to protecting Yugi and the children. He saw Joey tense as the blonde moved closer, recognizing the look of intense thought on his friend's face. Joey was obviously going over everything that Yugi had shared about the time of his imprisonment. Even though he didn't want to, he found himself tracing back over those memories, jerking away from the pain filled months to grasp onto those that were filled with Yami; finding that they too crossed into his memories tainted with Noa

"You were-"

"Though that I was dead?" Noa smiled to himself. "Did Atemu whisper that in you ear at night when the two of you were all alone? But, I wouldn't believe everything that Atemu tells you. After all, he did lie to you once."

Yugi grimaced at the reminder, remembering the original purpose behind his initial rescue. Yami had just saved him that first time to be an object through which to complete his plan of revenge. Yugi shook his head to rid himself of the memories. "It's not like that anymore."

"Really now?"

Yugi's eyes narrowed at the barely contained amusement in Noa's voice. "No! He loves me."

Noa burst out laughing at this, retreating to stand beside Yami's uncle. Yugi snorted and turned his head away. He didn't care what Noa thought. Yami would still come and get him out of this mess.

It bothered Yugi that he was relying only on Yami again, a part of him wanting to prove that he was able to care of himself, if only to get his friends to keep from worrying about him. If it were just him, or just those his age, then they could have gotten away from Noa by now and been safe in hiding somewhere on this side of the river. But he had to account for the three orphans and his grandfather, none of whom could move fast enough to all get out. At least, not without Yugi staying behind and playing the part of the martyr, which would not allow him to attempt to escape again.

Yugi sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Would it even be worth it to explain his plan to everyone? He knew that they would just protest and refuse to go along with the plan, or try to come up with something else; all things that wouldn't help them. He was about to give in and speak when the door to the warehouse swung open slowly.

At first, there was nothing in the doorway, just the light that poured in. Then a shadow moved to block the light, slipping into the deeper darkness of the warehouse until the features of the person could be clearly identified, the light streaming around his head like a halo. Yugi blinked rapidly before letting out a little cheer as he recognized Yami. The teen's crimson eyes flicked over to meet Yugi's briefly before Yami looked back at the two figures in the middle of the room. Yami held up a rectangular shape, waving around before walking three more steps into the warehouse. "I've got what you want. Now let them go."

Yami's uncle smiled, one hand restraining Noa as the aqua haired teen leapt forward. The man strolled forward, calmly holding out a hand. "**Walk over here with the book while they walk out.**"

Yami gave a shrug and made his way across the warehouse. Yugi shot of his feet, helping Tèa up before pushing her and the three orphans on. Joey and Tristan walked past him as he was assisting his grandfather to his feet. Yugi looked to the side as Yami strolled past, giving him a smile. The smaller teen let his own steps toward the door slow to wait for Yami. He still jumped at the slap of the book against the palm of the man and the low conversation.

"**That wasn't a smart move, Atemu.**"

"It got them free."

"**But what about you? Are you really that eager to return to my realm?**"

There was no reply from Yami, just the sound of his footsteps returning to Yugi's side. Yami's hand slipped into Yugi's, the smaller teen sighing and almost leaning into Yami, jolting back upright when he felt Yami tense. "Be ready to run, aibou."

Yugi didn't have a chance to question the order as guttural chanting came from behind them. He was tempted to look back, his head already beginning to turn when Yami jerked him forward, the taller teen easily slipping into a run. Yugi, struggling to keep up with the longer legs, turned his attention back to the front, squinting as they burst out into the sun.

* * *

Aknadin screamed in his mind as he felt his own blood burning through his veins. But the creature seemed to enjoy the feeling. His mouth kept going as the creature made him chant out those words that caused him no end of pain. He mentally begged the creature to stop, cringing back as the request was laughed at, the sound of its laughter filled Aknadin's head. "**Why should I stop? I will be free!**"

"You're killing me!" Aknadin tried to wrest control of his own body back. He was easily flung back into a far corner of his mind, the creature taking complete control of the body that they had shared up until now. Aknadin screamed in frustration and pain, clawing at the mental bonds that kept him there, his distress attracting the attention of the creature again.

"**Then so be it.**"

"But you promised!" Aknadin was struggling now, losing all the power that he had as he felt his body began to slow. It was just too hot to function, the organs shutting down one after another as the chant went on. "You promised that you would bring Atemu back."

"**And I did. It was my actions that made those idiotic angels allow him to live again. He has returned. You have seen him. Our bargain is over.**"

Aknadin tried to speak again, but failed as a great surge of power rushed through his body, sending it into convulsions that he could sense from the far off part of his mind that he was trapped in. He screamed, struggling to reach out for the small thread of control that was still within reach, his consciousness just barely brushing over it as he tried to reclaim his body.

He wrapped himself around the thread, beginning to drag himself out of the prison that was being created for him within his own mind. There was a short moment of elation, the moment brought tumbling down as the chanting stopped as the creature used his voice to scream to the sky, "**I rise again!**"

Aknadin felt the thread slip from his grasp as his body seemed to dissolve around him. He screamed, reaching for anything that could the disappearance of his body or shove the creature away. Any way to stop this horrible thing from happening to him. Another scream was pulled from him as his body split in half, no blood spilling from him as it boiled away in his veins.

He felt the pull away from the warehouse and his body, flowing along with the feeling without any real thought. There was suddenly no rush or worry. There was nothing to be bothered about anymore. Existence had ceased to be important. An overwhelming feeling of peace came over him as he drifted away, spotting shadowy flames beginning to lick at the walls of the warehouse and the burning red eyes that opened from the depths of the flames.

* * *

Yami shoved Yugi in front of him, keeping one hand on Yugi's shoulder as they sprinted toward the group that waited for them. They were merely feet from their friends when there was an explosion behind them, the force from the explosion throwing Yami and Yugi to the ground.

He hit the ground with a groan, the sound quickly turning into a scream as the watch around his neck began to burn and tick quickly. Yami rolled onto his back, hands scrambling for the watch as he writhed on the ground. From a distance, he could hear Yugi calling his name. Yami tired to open his eyes, but only ended up screaming again as his heart began to beat faster, too fast for him to breath properly, and in no really rhythm.

His frantic clawing at the watch finally opened it, bright light spilling from the face of the watch and obscuring the numbers. The light pulsed angrily, a few tendrils spilling from the watch to run over his body. Wherever the light touched, Yami felt an electric shock course through him, the stimulation causing his already arrhythmic heart to go even more out of control. Yami arched off the ground, trying to draw in a breath and panicking when he couldn't.

As suddenly as it started, the pain was gone, leaving his heart to slowly calm down. Yami went limp, his eyes still closed, as he gasped for air. For a moment, he allowed himself only to lie there, unable to do anything but breathe. Slowly, he became aware of a hand on his cheek, another holding his hand tightly.

Yami opened his eyes and groaned, trying to move only to be pushed back to the ground. He blinked, staring at Ryou as he tried to work out how to function again. Yami tried to sit up again, relieved when they let him. He swayed in place for a moment, grateful when Yugi pulled him close, the hand on his cheek moving to wrap around his waist. Yami tipped his head back, resting in Yugi's shoulder as his breathing calmed.

"What was that?"

"I don't know, aibou. I just-"

"Atemu!" Yami shot up as his name boomed out from the watch. He cradled the golden watch in his one free hand, staring at the angrily pulsing surface in horror. He recognized that voice and the tone. His eyes widened as the memories flooded back to him, the repetition of one phrase enough to inspire fear. Yami jumped as Isis shouted through the watch again. "Atemu, what have you done?!"

Yami turned to look at the warehouse behind him, scrambling to his feet as he watched black flames lick at the structure. His plan had already gone wrong; he had expected the ritual to bring that creature to life to take longer. He took a step forward, mouth dropping open as he watched the flames writhe like they had minds of their own, turning in their direction.

One hand went up to clutch at the watch around his neck, the motion snapping it shut. As soon as the light was extinguished, the flames turned back to the building. Yami came back to himself as Yugi squeezed his hand, quickly shaking off the feeling of horror.

He hadn't meant for it to go this far. It should have been easy to run back in and grab the book. Now…Now it would be a lot harder. Yami took a step back from the building, wanting a moment to stop the flow of thoughts through his head and failing. Before he had been sure that he could snatch back the book and race out. Now that thing was free, and Noa was still in there. And the flames…the flames he didn't want to think about at the moment.

Yami turned around, pointing at Solomon and the three orphans. "Could you take them back to Malinda? Head for the Palace of Thebes and ask for Mahad or Mana, they can help you." His gaze moved on to Yugi's friends from Domino. "You run for home."

"Yami, what…" Yami glanced down and Yugi, suddenly scooping up and kissing him. Gods, he was going to miss his aibou when this was all over. Yugi moaned and wrapped his arms around Yami's neck, opening his mouth to allow Yami's tongue to enter. Yami pulled away before he could deepen the kiss, making sure to sent Yugi back on his feet before turning and sprinting back toward the building. "Yami!"

He heard the shout as he neared the black flames, jumping to one side as a flame snapped out at him. Yami darted forward through the break the flame had created, holding and arm above his head and the watch in his other hand as he entered the warehouse. Searing heat and freezing cold surrounded him on both sides as he rushed through, stumbling and falling to his hands and knees as he finally pushed through the battered door.

* * *

Yugi struggled against the hold that Ryou had on his arm, turning to glare at the British teen before standing still. "Let me go, Ryou."

"Yugi, I can't just-"

"No. I can't just let Yami rush in there and risk his life for us alone. Whatever he needs to get, he'll need help." Yugi pulled his arm out of the hold, backing away. "You would do the same for Bakura."

"Yugi is right." Yugi jumped as Marik ambled over to stand beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I don't want to live with the knowledge that Yami died without us there to help him."

There was a grumble from Bakura before the thief walked over, eventually pulling Ryou to stand with them. When Ryou tried to protest, Bakura shushed him. "The Pharaoh is useful. And people will stop moping around if he's back."

Yugi didn't quite know how to take the statement, but accepted the support that was given. He looked over at his newest friends, giving them a shaky smile as Joey opened his mouth, probably to voice his own support. "I want you to help Grandpa and then go home."

"But Yug'!"

"We'll need someplace safe to run to. And I want my Grandpa to stay safe. Please, trust me." Yugi gave a smile that he knew that they couldn't refuse. He wanted to get his friends out of here, out of the place they were least suited to deal with. If this had happened anywhere else, he would have taken their help without a second thought, but this put them out of their depth. Besides, they probably didn't fully trust Yami right now. And Yugi wanted to be sure that they had the chance to later. He knew what Noa was capable of; so did the others that Yami had collected around him. He didn't want any of his friends ending up in the same situation that he had been in.

Joey nodded, lowering his eyes. "Alright, Yug'. Just promise to get yourself back safely. And tell Yami that he better come back to."

Yugi nodded and waved good-bye as Tristan and Joey began to escort his Grandpa and the three orphans away. He gave Tèa a questioning look as she walked over to him, looking at him for a long time before giving a long sigh. "I hope that he's all that you're looking for. If you ever need me, I'll be there."

He nodded, understanding what she was trying to say. Until Yugi broke up with Yami, it was the closest Tèa was going to get to a confession of her own crush. And he was fine with that. It meant the world to him that she would be there even though she liked him. Yugi stepped up to tell her this, but was stopped by the devious smile that crossed her face. "But make sure to keep him around as long as possible, because you two are cute together."

Yugi felt his mouth drop open and heard the snickers from the teens behind him. He knew his face must be very red at the moment, but decided not to think on that as he struggled to come up with an answer. Convinced that she had done her job, Tèa hurried after the others, leaving Yugi at the mercy of the other teens.

He turned around to glare at them, knowing that it was useless because he was blushing so badly. When Marik opened his mouth to comment, Yugi held up a hand to stop him, shaking his head and walking away. When the laughter doubled, Yugi turned around, clenching his hands into fists. "I'm not cute!"

With his retort delivered, Yugi stomped toward the warehouse, trying and failing to ignore the laughter that followed him.

* * *

Yami gave a weak cough, shivering as he clambered to his feet. He was just steadying himself when something knocked into him from the side. Yami yelped, wincing when his head knocked against one of the crates. His vision blurring, he looked up to see Noa smirking at him.

"This is where we settle things, _partner_."

Yami gritted his teeth and stood up, one hand going behind him to rest on the crate. "Fine by me, Noa."

He lunged at the aqua haired teen, pushing him to the floor. Noa clawed at Yami's face, trying to shove the teen off of him. Yami merely grabbed both of Noa's wrists and slammed them against the concrete floor, feeling one of them give a bit more than they should have. Noa writhed and screamed, succeeding in bucking Yami off.

Yami rolled back to his feet, one hand grabbing the watch that was beating against his chest. Noa saw the motion and laughed, gingerly holding one wrist as he got up. "You still kept that thing, even after I killed you."

"You present was the first thing I got rid of." Yami threw the retort back at Noa as he retreated back into the flickering flames, shuddering as they brushed against him without burning. Noa followed, a crazed expression crossing his face.

"So I did kill you that first time. You don't know how good it feels to have you say that." Noa laughed, the sound making Yami shiver. Noa was an unwelcome distraction from what he was looking for. He only had a matter of time before someone followed him in here. His attention was drawn back to Noa as the teen shifted, placing himself in front of a narrow alleyway between crates. "And, this time, I'll kill Yugi too. Right in front of you to watch you squirm, Atemu. It's what I should have done earlier. That shrimp is nothing."

Yami reacted before he could think properly, throwing himself at Noa. The two of them tumbled into the small space between the crates and landed on top of a tangle of ropes. Yami lashed out, smirking when he felt his fist connect with Noa's face, searching through the rope for the injured wrist. His hand closed over it, the smirk growing larger as Noa screamed in pain. Yami's smirk disappeared from his face as Noa landed a kick on his stomach, knocking him backward.

He braced himself on a crate to get up, expecting Noa to come after him. A choked noise made Yami look up. The aqua haired teen had managed to get a loop of rope wrapped around his neck and was clawing at in an attempt to get it off.

Yami reacted without thinking, lunging for the pile of rope and pulling back on an end. Noa squeaked as the rope around his neck tightened. He reached out to stop Yami, the tri-color haired teen relaxing his hold on the rope before leaning forward. "Take back what you said."

Noa visibly ran back over the previous snatched of conversation, his lips moving as he tried to remember what he said. Yami could tell when he arrived at the right place because the blue eyes suddenly lit up. Noa considered for a moment before slowly shaking his head. Yami stiffened at the motion, watching as Noa smirked. "No, I don't think I will. In fact, I'll add onto it. Yugi's quite pretty, wouldn't you say? What would happen if I-"

Yami reacted before Noa could even finish the thought, getting a better hold on the rope and pulling back. The rest of the sentence came out as a strangled gasp, one of Noa's hands reaching for Yami. The tri-color haired teen merely leaned further back, watching the emotions that ran through Noa's eyes. There was fear, terror, anger, hatred and then nothing. The aqua haired teen went limp and Yami let go of the rope, smiling at Noa's body hit the floor with a solid thud.

"**Very good, Atemu. Very good.**" Yami turned at the sound of the voice, his eyes traveling up the creature that stood behind him. It was the demon from his dreams, the wings curled around the passage to cage Yami in. He found himself staring at the red eyes, the horns drawing his gaze to that feature. He didn't have to look at the rest of the demon to know what was there. The skin would be black, a dragon's head emerging from one side of the waist while a tail started from the other side.

He stayed frozen in place as the demon reached down with a claw, gently running it down his cheek as it moved closer. "**Are you ready to come home, Atemu? We all miss you.**"

Now Yami found the energy to move, stumbling over Noa's prone form and escaping out the other side of the alleyway. He sprinted around the crates, panic urging him to run faster. He could hear the laughter from the demon and the rumbles that it created as it walked.

Yami ducked to one side, tripping over something on the ground and falling. He pushed himself up with a groan, pushing the bangs out of his eyes to stare back at the thing that had tripped him. The purple and gold cover of the book stared back at him. Yami smiled and lunged for the book, pulling it close to him.

He flipped open the book to a random page, hastily scanning the text in front of him, snarling when it kept showing him a picture with Yugi. The book showed you want you wanted to see, if you had the power to use it at all. But what he wanted right now was a way to send the creature back so he had a way to protect Yugi. Anything to keep Yugi safe.

He almost skipped over it, scrambling to his feet as the demon moved closer. Yami stopped and ran a finger down the page, quickly reading over the words.

"**Atemu!**" Yami looked up abruptly as the demon appeared over the line of crates, pausing as it looked at what Yami was holding. The tri-color haired teen sprinted away as the demon roared, throwing himself behind one of the crates, his foot kicking away a broken alarm clock as he pressed himself against the wood.

"Yami!"

He jumped at the familiar voice that called his name, his free hand wrapping around the watch as he attempted to calm his racing heart. Yami looked down at Yugi's smiling face, shaking his head. "What are you doing here, aibou?"

"We came to help." Yami leaned out, eyes widening as he saw Ryou, Bakura and Marik waiting behind Yugi. He looked back down at the smaller teen, feeling his own smile cross his face to match the one that Yugi wore. All five of them flinched back against the crates as the demon roared again.

"**You cannot escape from this place alive, Atemu. You will have to pass me to reach the exit.**"

Yami peeked out around the crate, wincing when he saw that the demon was not lying. It was standing in the middle of the warehouse, glaring at the line of crates that they were hiding behind. Yami pulled his head back, a plan forming in his head. He motioned his group together, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Here's the plan…"

* * *

_Read and review. Criticism, as always, is welcome._


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. Everything in between is mine.

**Warning:** Character Death.

**

* * *

Chapter Twelve**

Tèa stumbled after the group, wishing that she had worn her tennis shoes instead of the platforms that she had slipped on that morning. She had just intended to slip them off upon arriving at Yugi's house or stand around, not run for her life. A hand grabbed onto her arm as she slipped, the brunette flashing and thankful smile at Joey as the blonde helped her run on.

The children seemed to know where they were going, ducking around corners as they led them away from the dock and toward the ungainly streets of houses. Before they reached the slums of Domino, a pretty young woman appeared, looking frantically around. She spotted them and waved them over, the three orphans speeding up as they saw their caretaker.

Malinda smiled at them, gathering the three orphans close to her as she crouched on the ground. "Thank you."

Tèa nodded, waiting for her breath to steady before attempting to speak. "No problem. Just get back safely."

"We will. We've got Sky!" A little girl with her brown hair in braids pointed at a large white dog, the animal quite content to stand by her side. Tèa laughed and stood up straight, looking over their group to be sure that they were ready to return.

"You take care of yourselves." Solomon waved at the young woman, walking away with Joey and Tristan following. Tèa was about to follow them when she saw a worried look pass over Malinda's face. She remained behind, waving Tristan on when he looked back.

"I'll go back to check on Yugi. Don't worry about me!" Tristan looked unsure before nodding and catching up with Joey and Solomon. Tèa sighed in relief before turning back to the young woman. "What's wrong?"

She bit her lower lip, wringing her hands before she threw the digits down in disgust, probably at the gesture. "It's Yami. It has been a hard few years, because we all thought he was dead. But he came back, and we were all sure that he had gone for good. I don't know what to think anymore." Before Tèa could offer comfort, Malinda shook herself out of her thoughts, the smile returning. "Just take care of Yugi for me, alright. The children really like him and would like to visit more often."

"I'll do that. You look after those kids."

The two women waved after each other, preferring not to voice the true depths of their fears. Tèa was jogging away from the group when the small bespectacled man leapt out of the shadows of a nearby alleyway. She screamed, trying to dodge away, mentally cursing her choice of shoes.

Before either of them had time to react, the man fell back with a whimper, clutching his hand. Tèa looked down at the ground, seeing a Duel Monsters card on the ground. The man looked back over, paling dramatically at the sight. Tèa turned too, smiling as Jack stood dramatically behind the two of them. He gave Tèa a smile before turning to shout to the pouting boy behind him. "See Yusei, its better with Red Demon Dragon. Your Stardust is too weak!"

Tèa laughed, reaching to get the card while Weevil tried to get away while still holding his injured hand. From behind Jack and Yusei, Sky bounded over, her growl stopping Weevil in his tracks. Tèa scrambled to her feet, handing the card back to Jack as Malinda came running back over, looking very harried.

"Jack! Yusei! Get back with the others or you'll lose your motorcycles for a day." The two young boys squeaked and rushed back to the group of kids, losing themselves into the group. Malinda stomped over to Weevil, catching the collar of his shirt before calling Sky back to her side. She glared at the lackey. "We'll take you to Mahad and he'll decide what to do to you."

Weevil whimpered and tried to get out of her grip, flinching away from the glares that the children were giving him. Tèa chuckled to herself at the sight, waving to Jaden. The kid waved as well, making his Winged Kuriboh wave back before bouncing after his caretaker and the other children.

Tèa brushed herself off before heading back to the warehouse at a fast walk, not sure how she would hold up at a run again. She wanted to get there in time to help Yugi, but in one piece. She rolled her eyes and wished again that she had worn her tennis shoes.

**

* * *

**

Yami sprinted out into the open, jumping to one side as the demon's claws slashed down at him. He let his momentum carry him around into a full spin, stumbling a bit as Bakura shoved past him, using the distraction that Marik was causing to rush for the door; the book tucked safely under his arm.

Yugi caught Yami's arm, tugging him in another direction as Ryou burst out of their hiding place. Yami turned his head a bit, watching as the demon looked down at all of them and tried to figure out who had the book. He took control of their flight after seeing that his little brother had made it safely past the demon, steering Yugi around the sweeping claws and toward the door.

"Marik!" Yami looked over his shoulder to see Bakura throw the book, the blonde Egyptian quickly racing to catch it before continuing his flight for the door. The white haired thief ducked to safety as the demon's claws crashed around him, the demon already turning to glare at Marik.

The blonde turned from the door, running down an alley of crates. Yami felt Yugi pull away from him, ducking into a small space between the crates. The tri-color haired teen slowed his run, now moving at a slow jog to watch as his friends worked.

Bakura emerged from his hiding place the same time that Marik appeared further down the warehouse. The demon turned and lunged after the Egyptian, stopping short when he realized that Marik didn't have the book. At the same time, Yugi slipped from an even smaller gap and raced for the door. Yami flinched as the demon roared, turning to face Yugi.

The smaller teen slowed a bit, scrambling with the book before throwing it into the air. "Yami!"

He raced for the book at the sound of his name, catching a glimpse of white out of the corner of his eye before he changed direction quickly, letting Ryou snatch the book from the air and take off again for the door. The demon blundered over to Yami, too large to make the quick turns that the teens were forcing it to make. It roared, claws lashing out at Yami as he threw himself to the floor.

Yami looked up, carefully getting to his feet. They needed to get to the door as quickly as possible, because he didn't know how long the demon would take this before it started killing them off randomly. He shuddered at the mental image before forcing himself to start running again, nearly tripping as Ryou rushed past to discretely hand him the book.

He took off for the door, seeing Bakura come in on one side and tossing the book to him before they both threw themselves to the side to avoid the claws of the demon. Yami groaned as he hit the floor again, already sore muscles protesting the movement. One hand reached up to hold onto his aching shoulder, cursing as blood began to seep through the bandage. He was yanked back to his feet by Yugi, who then had to dodge to the side as the demon made a swipe at Marik as the blonde ran past with the book tucked under his arm.

Before Yami could protest, Yugi had intercepted the Egyptian, grabbing the book and running for another small gap. Yami only breathed easily when Yugi was safe from the demon. He began to run again, ducking behind the crates to catch Yugi on the other side. The younger teen gave him a brilliant smile before handing him the book and running off himself.

Yami pressed himself back against the crates, watching Yugi go with a vague smile on his face. With the adrenaline rushing around in his system, this deadly game of cat and mouse was actually fun. He found himself unable to stop watching Yugi as the smaller teen peeked around the crates, deciding at the last minute to dash through a small gap instead of going around the crates. Gods, his little one was beautiful.

He winced as Bakura raced past, slowing long enough to whack Yami across the back of his head. "You can look later, Pharaoh."

He lunged after Bakura, intending to repay the favor, when the demon leaned around the stack, the grumble that had been present the entire time erupting into a name. "**Atemu!**"

Yami took the chance to run around the stack, tossing the book up in the air to be caught by Ryou. The British teen turned quickly and raced for the door, a loud curse escaping him as the demon appeared at the last moment, cutting his escape off. The book was passed to Yugi again, who dodged back among the crates.

Yami grabbed Bakura by the collar as the thief rushed past, making the two of them run together for a time. "What have you been teaching him, thief?"

Bakura shrugged before pulling away. "Don't blame me, that one was Marik."

"Marik!" The Egyptian popped out from where he had been hiding, obviously expecting to catch the book only to be receiving Yami's glare. He gave a shrug, a cautious smile on his face.

Yami winced as the book hit the back of his head, Ryou in possession of the tome again. "This is not the time, Yami. You can kill him later."

He grinned at Ryou's statement before darting off himself, actually laughing as the claws missed him by a few inches. Yami moved around the hand, noticing that the demon had trouble pulling his claws from the concrete floor. He gave a cheeky wave to the demon before sprinting for cover as the demon roared and slashed at him.

Yami took the chance to rest, leaning his head back against the crates as he gasped for breath. He looked at the shadowy flames that still danced along the walls, noting that they had gone down since they had started distracting the demon. He shook his head; the flames weren't his worry right now.

Cautiously, he emerged from his hiding place to see Yugi dart down the alley that held Noa's body before quickly rushing back out, the claws missing his head by mere inches as the teen fled from the dead body. Yami darted out from his hiding place, catching Yugi around the waist and pulling the book from his grasp.

Against his better judgment, he kept up with Yugi for a few strides, noticing that the boy was paler than normal. "Are you alright?"

Yugi gave a brief nod, a shiver running down his spine. "I just didn't…Did you do that?"

He nodded once before tossing the book in Bakura's direction, noticing the thief had to twist awkwardly to catch the throw. When Yami had turned back, Yugi was already moving off to catch the next throw before immediately throwing it to Marik, who was closer to the door.

The Egyptian lost what ground he had gained when the demon stumbled to the door, one of its wings covering the opening. Ryou was there in an instant, carrying the book back to Bakura before sprinting off in a random direction. Yami took the chance to race closer to the door, noticing that they were almost in a line, Marik having moved back to his position closer to the door as the demon turned to go after Ryou.

The white haired thief tossed the book back to Yami, who immediately passed to Marik while the demon's back was turned. Yami watched Marik race for the exit with a smile on his face. As soon as the book was out of the warehouse, they could all escape. And then he could send this demon back to where it belonged.

The smile still across his face, Yami turned back to look at the others down the warehouse. The smile flickered and faded as events seemed to slow down. Suddenly, the book wasn't important.

Yugi and Ryou had begun their dash for safety, probably seeing that Marik was already in the clear. But the demon had managed to corner them, a leg blocking their escape from the claws it had moving down towards them. There wasn't even a place for Yugi to slip into and leave Ryou to dodge. But Yugi would never leave Ryou behind, Yami knew that.

Bakura was rushing toward them, but he was too far away. Yami took one look at the thief's face, recognizing pain as the too realized that he would never make it to Ryou in time. Yami clenched his hand over the watch before taking off toward them, not seeing the look of relief that crossed over Bakura's features.

He easily dodged around the leg, ducking to avoid the swinging tail. Yami put on an extra burst of speed as he saw that the claws were close, too close for any escape for the trapped pair. "Ryou! Aibou!"

They glanced up as Yami pushed them to the ground, gaining his own balance in time to turn his head to glare at the demon before the claws connected with him.

Yami felt the sharpened claws dig into his side, easily slicing through clothes and skin. He didn't have too long to linger over the feeling before he was flying across the warehouse, a moment of hang time before he crashed into the wall farthest away from the door. He felt places in his neck and back give out as he came in contact with the wall, bouncing off the hard surface before falling to the floor.

He weakly opened his eyes, not remembering when he closed them, trying to draw in a breath through his punctured lungs. His gaze moved down to the watch, which was open and looking equally as battered as he was. He watched the second hand give a feeble twitch, feeling his heart respond. Yami inhaled a small amount of air, tasting blood in his mouth as he closed his eyes.

The last tick of the watch matched with his exhale, Yami barely catching the end of the sound as his abused body finally shut down.

* * *

Silence fell abruptly over the four of them, Marik even pausing halfway out of the door as they watched Yami. Yugi didn't notice the position of any of them, too focused on the teen that lay splayed out at the other end of the warehouse, willing him to get up and smirk at the demon. He glanced up at Ryou, deciding the move was worth the risk of missing movement; his eyes pleading with Ryou to tell him something.

Instead of comfort, he saw Ryou holding a hand in front of his mouth, tears streaming from his eyes as he stared at his friend. Yugi carefully stood up, having stayed sprawled on the floor the entire time, as Bakura came up to hug Ryou, pulling him away from the demon that was staring at Yami like the rest of him.

Yugi took a step forward, suddenly aware of the silence that filled the room. "Yami?"

"Yugi…don't." He turned as Ryou choked over the words. Yugi slowly shook his head, not understand what Ryou was trying to say. "He's…"

Ryou turned and buried his head in Bakura's shoulder, letting the thief pull him toward the door. Yugi shot a look over at Yami, before looking away, convinced that dark pool spreading from the teen was from the shifting flames. It was just a shadow. It had to be. He stumbled a few steps after the pair. "We can't leave Yami. We need to go get him, he could be hurt."

Please let Yami just be hurt. Yugi refused to let his thoughts go beyond that point, unsure whether he was actually able to think beyond that.

"Yugi…"

"No, we're not leaving him." Yugi turned and ran down to the end of the warehouse, quickly kneeling away from the spreading shadow to rest a hand on Yami's cheek. He gently brushed the blonde bangs away from Yami's face, waiting for Yami to respond to his touch. Yugi swallowed and brushed his hand gently over Yami's face, forcing a smile onto his own as he spoke. "Yami? Yami, come on. Open those beautiful eyes. We need to get out of here"

Yugi sat back when nothing happened, hand slipping from Yami's face to rest on the cold concrete. He looked over at the watch that had fallen a little away from Yami, watching as the second hand continued to swing before it came to a complete stop, running out of momentum. He raised his hand again, watching it tremble before he placed it on Yami's neck, trying to remember where to take a pulse. He found the vein and sat there for a while, his fingers against it as he waited for anything to happen. Yugi found himself shaking as the silence continued for too long. He jumped as a hand rested on his shoulder, turning around quickly to find Ryou staring at him.

"He won't wake up." Yugi impatiently wiped tears from his eyes; now was not the time to be crying. Yami needed him now. "And I can't feel a pulse but…Ryou?"

He turned his eyes up to Ryou, begging him silently to tell him anything but what was running through his head. He sat up a little straighter as Ryou sighed, the white haired teen getting distracted by the watch. Yugi followed his gaze to the golden fob watch, wondering why Ryou was staring at it with such intensity. He looked back in time to see Ryou grab his own watch that hung around his neck, gently rubbing the engraving on it before letting it go.

"He's gone, Yugi."

"Gone…but…no." The last word came out as a whisper as Yugi turned back to look at Yami, the hand that still rested against the taller teenager's neck slowly making it's way to Yami's shoulder. Yugi's gaze followed his hand, stopping on the gashes in Yami's side, staring at them in horror.

This wasn't right. It couldn't be right. After all, Yami just didn't break like that. He didn't give in that easily. And Yami wouldn't leave them like this.

"Yugi, we have to go now, before that thing begins to move again."

"But, I can't just leave him. I just found him again." Yugi picked up his hand and ran it through Yami's hair, arranging the strands he could reach into a semblance of order. A faint smile appeared before he broke down completely, bracing himself upright with one hand as the other curled back against him. "Please, no."

Ryou didn't say anything otherwise. Yugi glanced back at him, shuddering as the white haired teen began to back away, tears running down his face silently. Yugi turned back to Yami, gently picking him up from the floor and hugging him close, not caring about the blood. "Yami, I love you. Please, don't leave me. Please."

He tucked his head into the juncture of Yami's neck and shoulder, running his hands down Yami's back. His hands stopped at the break that he could feel, quickly skirting around it to rest his hand somewhere else. Knowing that the break was there made it worse, because he was sure that he had seen Yami open his eyes after hitting the wall. Yugi didn't know what hurt worse, the knowledge that Yami was dead or knowing that he had been alive and suffering, if only for a while; all while Yugi huddled at the other end of the warehouse safe.

From the other side of the warehouse, he could hear Marik yelling at him to hurry up, the demon finally pulling itself from its stupor. Yugi could hear the growls of the creature as it turned to look at the teens. Yugi clung to Yami even tighter at the sound, not wanting to turn around. They had been so close, so close to freedom. And then he had gotten himself trapped.

"**Atemu.**" Yugi stiffened at the sound of the creature calling for Yami, pulling his head away to look at the beast. His eyes narrowed as he looked over the demon, sorrow changing to anger in a split second. This thing wanted Yami, but Yugi wouldn't let it get him.

His hand found the chain that held Yami's watch around his neck, gently slipping it from its accustomed place as Yugi shifted to allow Yami to rest back on the floor. Yugi stood up, turning to face the demon while placing the watch around his own neck. It had been Yami's most precious possession, and Yugi was not about to lose it.

He drew himself up to his full height, finding it surprisingly easy to look the creature in the eye. Yugi didn't flinch as the creature snarled, black flames leaping up around them as they continued their glaring contest. He could hear the others calling for him to leave, but he stood his ground. He wouldn't leave Yami and he wouldn't let this thing stop them.

The creature shifted backward, breaking eye contact for a moment before letting out a fearsome roar and lunging forward. Yugi stepped quickly to the side, flinching as the claws of the demon barely missed him. He shivered as the demon leaned forward, the loud rumbling chuckle shaking the whole warehouse.

"**Foolish mortal. No one can stand up to my power.**" Yugi took a step backwards, flailing a bit to keep from falling over Yami's body. His hand knocked against the watch before it grabbed hold of it, his fingers moving over the engraving. Yugi glanced down before turning his eyes back to the creature.

"I can. You will not hurt anymore of my friends."

The demon threw back its head and laughed, lifting up the one hand from the ground. The claws hovered close to Yugi before the demon drew them back. Yugi braced himself, glancing up at the deadly claws before looking back at the demon. He would not allow himself to be intimidated by this creature. All the while, his eyes never left the burning red ones.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a glint of light and something sped across his line of vision, passing easily through the arm of the demon. The creature screamed in pain, recoiling to clutch at the stub of its left arm. The light made another pass, this time missing the creature entirely. But the severed arm still fell toward Yugi, claws just as deadly detached from their owner. Something grabbed him around the waist and hauled him away. Yugi squeaked in surprise, eyes closing as he was moved out of the way. He heard the severed arm hit the ground behind him a moment before he was set back down on the ground.

Cautiously, Yugi opened his eyes, partially embarrassed that he had closed them in the first place. He found himself staring at a familiar pair of black jeans and boots, his surprise making him stare in confusion before looking up at the person's face. Yugi had to squint as the bright light was caught by his rescuer.

The light flared as the person carelessly tossed it up onto his head, white wings appearing from his shoulders and spreading out behind him, a stark contrast against the dark shirt he was wearing. Yugi scrambled to his feet, one hand reaching for the wings as the creature turned to look at its attacker, still guarding the injured limb.

"**Atemu!**"

Yugi felt his heart leap at the name, sucking in a deep breath as he ducked around the wing that was in front of him. He expected to be disappointed, to find out that it was someone else who had saved him. Without looking at him, his rescuer threw out an arm to keep Yugi in place, turning his own body to keep Yugi shielded. "No, aibou."

The nickname was the final proof he needed as he stared up at the familiar spiked hairstyle and angular face. Yugi gasped and threw his arms around Yami's waist, pressing his head against the taller teen's back. He felt Yami sway under the slight impact, but he didn't care at the moment. Yami was back and everything was fine.

"Yami!" Yugi looked up at the startled cry from Ryou. The British teen turned around and pulled the book away from Marik, running a few strides before throwing it to Yami. Yugi let go of the teen as Yami rushed for the book, the wings on his back flaring out for balance as he came to a quick stop, easily snatching the book from the air. Ryou gave a wide smile. "Finish this!"

Yami flipped open the book and began to retreat back to Yugi, easily reading the words in front of him. Yugi tilted his head to the side, unable to understand what Yami was saying, but recognizing it as the guttural chanting he had heard earlier. He reached out for Yami, content when he was able to hold onto Yami's arm. He thought he had lost the taller teen once before, he wasn't going to risk that again.

Yugi cuddled into Yami's side, smiling as one of the wings curled around him in a hug as Yami continued to chant. He let his eyes slide closed, enjoying the sound of Yami's voice. At this moment, it didn't matter that there was still a demon in the warehouse, or that he didn't know where his grandfather or friends were. Yami had been given back to him after all.

His eyes opened back up as Yami shifted, the book closing with a loud thump. Yugi saw anger in Yami's red eyes as he shifted to point at the demon, bellowing at the top of his lungs, "Now be gone!"

The demon gave a howl of pain, the one arm it still had reaching out for Yami. The teen merely smirked as the claws bounced off an invisible shield, the surface of the shield rippling with a myriad of colors as the claws scraped down the surface. It backed away, hissing in displeasure, the second step it took causing a sickly red light to flare from the ground.

It growled low in its throat as the light rose up its leg, trying to yank the limb out but failing. It rocked forward, its other leg suddenly captured by the same red light. The ground underneath the demon began to lose its color, being flooded with the light from below.

Yugi stared transfixed at the floor, watching as the light began to move, making the floor look like water flowed under it. Every now and again a patch of dimmer red or black would move through the floor under the demon, the occurrence happening more often as patterns began to form in the red light, the floor now just transparent.

Suddenly, a wave of heat passed through the room, rising from the strange patch in the floor. At the same time, a wind swept through the warehouse, howling as it rushed around the walls. The black flames twisted higher under the encouragement of the wind before being blown out completely.

Yugi shivered against the gale, moving closer to Yami. Arms pulled him away, repositioning him so he was standing in front of Yami. Yugi found himself being pulled into a hug, the wings appearing on the edges of his vision and cupping around him. Yugi looked up at Yami, spellbound by the image that was given to him.

Yami's red eyes were narrowed in anger, their color darker than normal. The wind teased his bangs, making them whip around his face and throwing some of them up into his hair. The spikes remained mostly stationary, the wind still teasing individual strands of hair from them. Over all of this, a gentle golden light fell from somewhere above Yami, the illumination bringing out his tan skin.

A piercing shriek called his attention back to his the demon, his eyes widening as the floor under the demon disappeared totally. Yugi stared, his mouth falling open in shock at the lava that had appeared in its place. The demon had a single moment to glare at Yami, its mouth opening to deliver a final retort, but it was sucked into the lava pit before it could do so, tumbling quickly out of sight.

The lava shifted, enclosing the demon before the surface was covered by black pieces of cooled rock, the red light disappearing except for a faint glow. Even the glow faded from Yugi's sight as the floor regained its normal color, leaving a blank space where the demon had once stood.

A loud thump made him jump; looking to the side to see that the book had been carelessly tossed away. Yugi stared at the purple and gold cover before he hugged Yami tightly, earning a faint noise of surprise at the move. "I thought that I lost you!"

"Yugi…" The smaller teen didn't let Yami finish his sentence, instead pulling away to smile at him. Yami seemed to waver between two thoughts before finally returning the hug. "I missed you too, aibou."

"Yami!" Yugi turned Ryou's call, waving to the other three as they ran up. He tipped his head to the side in confusion as he saw that only Ryou was smiling, Bakura and Marik looking on in confusion. Yugi prudently stepped to the side as Ryou barreled into Yami, nearly picking the tri-color haired teen from the ground. "You did it! We beat him!"

A bright flash of light stopped any further comments. Yugi raised an arm to shade his eyes, squinting against the light. He finally had to close his eyes as the light got brighter, flaring suddenly before calming. Cautiously, Yugi opened his eyes, blinking at the column of golden light that streamed from the book and through the ceiling of the warehouse.

Ryou untangled himself from Yami, bounding over to the light and circling the column with an expression of pure joy on his face. "Look! We can go back now."

The British teen was rushing back over to Bakura before any of them had any time to say anything. Ryou gently held Bakura's hands in his own, a sad smile on his face before he leaned forward to press a quick kiss to the thief's lips. "I'll be waiting for you."

Yugi was about to question the teen when Ryou turned and rushed for the column of light. Yugi thought he saw some tears in the white haired teen's eyes as he reached out for the golden light. Yami and Bakura jerked forward as Ryou reached out to touch the light, his brown eyes rolling back as he made a sound like a sigh before slipping to the ground. Bakura was there to catch him before Yami could move, the thief gathering up Ryou in his arms and pulling him away from the column of light. The rest of the teens held their breath, only relaxing when Ryou's eyes fluttered open, looking around him in confusion. "What? Where am I?"

"You idiot." Ryou was pulled up into a hug, the teen gasping for air as Bakura squeezed him. Yugi chuckled quietly to himself, his own smile widening as Yami slipped a hand into his own. The thief readjusted his hold on Ryou, staring the British teen. "Why did you do that? You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"But I…" Ryou looked over at Yami. "We're supposed to go back."

"Ryou." The five teens turned to look at the column of light. A woman stood in the light, her white wings folded close to her body and a halo hovering over her black hair. She smiled at all of them before the expression disappeared, her bright blue eyes suddenly clouded with sorrow. "Your family says they want you to be happy. And that they will see you when you reach the true end of your life."

Yugi whimpered when Yami stepped away from him, not realizing that he had made the sound until he saw Yami turn his head to look at him. The taller teen reached out for him, before letting his hand fall back to his side. "I'm sorry, Yugi. There was no other way."

Yugi reached forward to grab onto Yami's arm, intending to stop the taller teen and demand an explanation. Before he could, he felt the watch around his neck slip off, drifting gently back to Yami. The taller teen's eyes widened as he held out his hand, carefully opening the watch to look at the still watch face.

Now Yugi was presented with the chance to see Yami, no longer hindered by the threat of the demon. It was true that Yami looked exactly the same, but the wings on his back had not been an illusion or something caused by the demon or the chant. They were still there, folded close to his dark shirt. And, hovering above his head and casting the same light that had sliced through the demon's arm, was a halo.

"Yami?"

"I have to go back, aibou. I cheated the system to save you in time. They're waiting for me. And Ryou won't ever be able to go back if I don't. He'll get sent to the same place as the demon." There was a sharp intake of breath from Ryou, Yugi looking at the British teen as he tried to puzzle out what was going on. Yami shivered visibly at the mention of that place. "And that is a place I would not wish upon any of my friends."

Yami slipped the watch over his head, settling it into place before walking over to Ryou and kneeling in front of him. "I'm alright with you and Bakura, but promise that you'll take care of each other. I don't expect to see you for a long time." He raised his eyes a little to glare at Bakura. "Take care of him."

"You don't have to tell me that, Pharaoh. I've done a better job than you have." The reply was snapped out, but it lacked the usual bite that Bakura gave to things. Yami nodded, the agreement between the two of them lost on Yugi. He found himself stuck as a spectator as Yami stood up, ruffling Ryou's hair. "Good-bye little brother."

A single nod was exchanged between Marik and Yami before the latter walked up to the column of light, one hand resting on the surface. He turned, keeping his hand on the surface of the column as he looked at Yugi, the heartbreak in his eyes enough to bring Yugi over to him; the smaller teen wrapping his arms around Yami. Yugi was enfolded in another hug, this time Yami was holding him like he would never let go. Yugi ran his hand up and down Yami's back in a soothing motion, shocked when he felt Yami begin to tremble. He pulled away, shocked to see tears falling from Yami's eyes. Yugi brushed them away, trying to smile. "Why are you crying?"

"I've got to say good-bye, aibou."

"But…good-byes aren't forever."

"This one is."

Yugi shook his head, tightening his hold on Yami. "I won't let you go."

"You have to. The dead should stay dead." Yugi saw the woman flinch. He tipped his head back to look at Yami, still not understanding what the taller teen was saying. Yami wasn't dead, he was right here in front of him. Yugi could touch him, could hold him. Yami sighed and turned him around, one hand gently directing Yugi's gaze back to the far wall of the warehouse. There, just where he had fallen, was Yami.

Yugi froze, clinging tightly to the arm closest to him. But Yami was right here, Yami was holding him. He couldn't be dead. It was just a trick.

"Aibou," Yugi whimpered as the arm was carefully removed from his grasp, turning to look at Yami as the taller teen slowly walked away, "I have to go now. Just…try to be happy."

"Yami…" Yugi followed the retreating teen, catching him before he stepped into the light. Yami pulled a bit, not trying to break from the hold on him, but not looking at him. Yugi swallowed around the lump that was forming in his throat, comprehension dawning on him. And he wished that he could have stayed in the dark. "Why did you do that?"

"I will always save you, Yugi. No matter what."

"But...who will save you?"

Yami abruptly spun around, Yugi only having a moment to register the motion before Yami's lips were against his. Yugi wrapped his arms around Yami's neck, enjoying the feel of the kiss before the emotion behind it hit him. Yugi gasped, the action allowing Yami's tongue to invade Yugi's mouth, pulling the smaller teen closer to him. Yugi clawed at Yami's back, careful to avoid the wings that emerged from his shoulders, trying to pull him even closer even though there was no more space between them. Yugi just didn't want any of it to end. Just didn't want to pull away from Yami and put space between them again.

But Yugi did have to come up for air. The moment he did, Yami was backing away, absorbed into the golden column of light. He gave Yugi a sad smile, reaching out to put his hand on the golden column. Not thinking, Yugi mimicked him, pressing his hand against the barrier on top of Yami's. There was a brief shock, but then his whole arm began to tingle with warmth. Yugi sniffed, aware that he was crying but didn't care. He was allowed to cry when his world was falling apart.

"Yugi, I love you." He looked up as Yami spoke, the sides of his mouth twitching up in an attempt to smile, but it was just too much.

"I love you too."

Yami's hand slid down from its position on the column of light, dropping back to his side. Yugi kept his up there for a moment longer, letting it drop back to his side but never breaking eye contact with Yami. He didn't want this moment to end. Yugi would be content to stand here forever if it meant that Yami got to stay.

He sniffed, finally moving away as Yami leaned over to pick up the book, turning the tome over in his hands. Yami looked torn, his hand twitching by his side. But they couldn't touch anymore, separated from each other by the golden light. Yami frowned for a moment, looking down at his watch as he concentrated on one thought.

"You'll always save me, Yugi. That's why you're my aibou." Yami gave a weak smile, the sentiment enough bring a fresh batch of tears to Yugi's eyes. He wrapped his arms around himself, nodding in response to the answer to his question. Yami seemed to understand, blowing a final kiss to Yugi. "Thank you."

A warm wind blew through the warehouse, bringing the smell of honey and lotus with it. It raced through the group of teens, playfully tugging at hair and bringing soft voice of a woman with it. "Atemu, time to come home."

Yugi tore his gaze from the ceiling, where it had wandered when the voice had whispered around him, to Yami. The angel nodded in answer to the voice, turning to meet Yugi's eyes as the light around him flared to a brilliant white. Yugi maintained eye contact as long as possible before finally shutting his eyes when it became too bright. When he opened them, the warehouse was deserted.

He heard the others shifting around as they prepared to leave. Yugi ignored them and walked back over to Yami's body, sitting down next to it and running his hand through Yami's hair, the tears still falling from his face. A hand landed gently on his shoulder. Yugi didn't bother to look up at the person, instead reaching down to hold Yami's hand, vaguely noticing that it was still slightly warm. "What happens now?"

"We'll take him back and bury him somewhere."

Yugi nodded, his throat threatening to clog up as he swallowed around his tears. "Could you tell me where he is, so I can come visit?"

"Of course. You're…" Ryou paused and cleared his throat. "You're part of our family now. We won't abandon you."

Yugi nodded, raising Yami's hand to his lips to give it a last kiss before getting up and walking out of the warehouse, feeling like his heart was ripping to shreds with every step he took. He nodded at Bakura and Marik, his awareness of the two ending soon after he passed them.

He stepped outside, eyes widening as he saw Tèa waiting for him outside. She smiled and waved at him, the latter motion stopping halfway through as she saw his face. One hand strayed to cover her mouth before she simply opened her arms. Yugi took the chance to run to her, accepting the hug as he burst into tears again.

Tèa rocked him, resting her chin on the top of his head. "What's wrong?"

"He's dead."

The rocking stopped for a moment as Tèa tensed. Then she was hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry, Yugi. I'm so sorry."

Neither of them noticed the man watching them from the shadows, his blue eyes widening before looking back at the warehouse. He gave the building a solemn nod before slipping back into the shadows.

* * *

_Okay, I did have a very deep explanation for why this had to happen, but I forgot it the instant I came to a point where I could write it. So just make do this one. At this point I needed to get rid of actual real bodies, so I went for the obvious. And I wanted to twist the original agreement between Yami and the angels, because they had only said that Yami had to come back, nothing about Ryou._

_*ducks into bomb shelter* Read and review. Criticism is always welcome._


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. I own everything in between.

**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen**

Noa blinked slowly, coughing as smoke drifted into his lungs. He pushed away from the ground, yelping as his palms were burned by the hot ground. The aqua haired teen scrambled to his feet, looking down at his reddened hands in horror. A shriek made him look up, mouth dropping open as he looked at the place he had woken up in.

Spires of black rock loomed over him, small winding paths made out of the same material spanning large lakes of red lava. People, or things that Noa assumed were people, crossed these bridges, carelessly picking their way over the rough rock. He shuddered as one of the people passed close to him, noticing the blank look in its eyes.

From beside him, the faint trickle of water drew his attention, the sound at odds with the volcanic world presented to him. Noa stumbled after the sound, his eyes widening as he watched a murky river emerge from a cavern, the source lost to the darkness further back. Coming to a dead stop on one side of the river, Noa looked downstream, following the dark river until it spilled into the lava, the marriage of water and molten rock creating steam. The aqua haired teen jumped back with a scream as a boat emerged from the steam, sailing with easy against the current of the river.

The prow of the boat was constructed of a long necked dinosaur's vertebrae and skull, the last of the neck bones being fused with the hull of the boat; which was constructed out of the same black rock as everything else in this world. The boat continued, revealing the hideous creature riding in the stern of the boat. The creature shrieked, the sound the same one that had startled Noa earlier, opening its leathery wings. The rest of its body was mostly hidden under a black cloak and cowl, the fabric only allowing for the skeletal tail, feet and head to be seen. The creature tipped its head to the side, boney beak pointed straight at Noa. The aqua haired teen rushed away from the river before the creature could make another move.

He raised his arm to cover his eyes as he ran, the lava giving off a bright red glow and lapping hungrily at the rocky shore. Noa dashed closer to the walls, pressing himself against the rough rock as a creature hauled itself up from the depths of the molten rock. His eyes widened as he recognized the demon that had been in the warehouse.

The demon seemed to spot him at that moment, throwing back his head and laughing. "**Hello, little angel, how far you have fallen. Now, tell me, was it worth it to deal with the Devil?**"

Noa flinched away from the voice, recognizing it as the one he had hated and worked for. He felt a whimper escape from his lips, already hating himself for the sign of weakness. "I helped you do what you wanted. Send me home."

"**I did and Atemu sent you down to me. Welcome home, little angel.**"

Noa's eyes ran over the horrific scene in front of him, hands grabbing a hold of the rock behind him. He didn't notice that the pain the action was causing him until something sharp rubbed against his palm, causing something sticky to run over the surface of his hand. Noa pulled his hand away from the wall, staring at it in wonder.

Blood. He was bleeding.

Noa looked back up at the demon, who was still laughing as it leaned closer to him. "**Eternal punishment awaits you, little angel. Would you care to begin?**"

He raised his hands to cover his face, screaming as the demon reached for him. "No! No! No!"

* * *

Solomon jumped up from his seat as the door opened revealing Tèa, the brunette's arm wrapped around Yugi. The smile dropped from his face as he looked down at his grandson, noticing the tears that still fell from his eyes.

"Yug', what happened?" Yugi jerked his head up, eyes widening as he seemed to realize where he was for the first time. Solomon walked over to his grandson, gently taking him away from Tèa's care. The girl gave a weak smile, motioning for the two boys to come over to her.

Joey was the one who stopped by Yugi, hesitating as he tried to decide what to do. Solomon wrapped his arms around his grandson when he saw him tremble, watching as Yugi lifted his eyes from the floor. "Yami…he…" Yugi ended up shaking his head and running for the stairs.

His friends made to follow when Solomon stopped them, a slow shake of his head being the only explanation. Tèa nodded, understanding. She pulled on Tristan's arm, guiding him out of the door before reaching for Joey. "When should we come and visit, Mr. Mutou?"

"Give him a couple of days." Solomon smiled at all of them, waving as they began their trek back home. He shut the door after them and walked over to the couch, sitting down on it and sinking back into the cushions, letting his mind go blank for a while, relaxing after the eventful day.

Solomon looked up as Yugi shuffled down the stairs. He took one look at the fluffy pajamas and the blanket that Yugi had wrapped around his body before patting the cushion beside him. Yugi stopped in his tracks, looking between the kitchen and the offered cushion before walking over to his grandfather, flopping onto the couch and leaning on Solomon's shoulder.

He rubbed his grandson's shoulder, stopping the motion long enough to rearrange the blanket around Yugi's body. Yugi gave a small shudder before pressing himself closer to his grandfather. He sympathized with his grandson, having lost a wife and daughter, but he didn't offer Yugi any words, just open arms and love. It was what seemed to help his grandson more than stumbled words of apology over something that no one could change.

"It hurts." Solomon snapped out of his thoughts as Yugi spoke, the small teen pulling away to arrange himself into a miserable huddle. He nodded in agreement, knowing what Yugi meant. "Does it ever stop?"

"I don't know, Yugi. But it does eventually dull. I can see things that remind me of your grandmother or mother without breaking down. But it hasn't stopped hurting, even for someone as ancient as me."

Yugi didn't laugh, but some of the emptiness cleared from his purple eyes. He sighed, pulling the blanket over his head like a hood and then looking at his grandfather from the new position. "Why did he…Did he know how much I would miss him?"

Solomon gently lifted Yugi's chin as his grandson's head dropped. "Yes. But, to him, you were more precious than anything else in this world."

Yugi refused to look at him, his purple eyes unfocused as he lost himself to his thoughts. Solomon shifted into a more comfortable position as his old joints protested against his previous one. He had just settled back down when Yugi spoke again. "I'm tired of crying."

"It doesn't mean that you are weak, Yugi. The strength comes from being able to move on through the tears. Can you do that?"

Yugi nodded, leaning over so his head resting on the arm of the sofa. Solomon let the silence stretch out between them. Yugi would talk when he needed to, and Solomon would offer what he could to his grandson. But, for now, he would offer companionship and a shoulder to cry on.

* * *

Ryou cuddled up to Bakura on the couch, the both of them looking up as dirt streaked Marik and Mahad walked down the stairs. The British teen sat up, one hand twining with Bakura's as he looked at both of them. Part of him hoped that they would smile and step aside to reveal Yami, smirking at them. But they both just gave him a long look before Marik walked down the hallway to the shower.

Ryou slumped, resting his forehead against Bakura's shoulder. He heard footsteps as Mahad came around the sofa, not even having the strength to pester the older man about the way he was tracking dirt on the floor. "Where?"

"By where the _Baroness _rests. We couldn't find a place close enough to Yugi, so we settled for the next best place." Ryou looked at Mahad out of the corner of his eye, wincing at how worn out the man looked.

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't…"

Mahad held up a hand to stop Ryou. "I understand. You'll be ready in your own time. And no one judges you for that."

Ryou nodded, feeling Bakura reach around him to stroke his back. He sighed and sat up, trying to summon up a smile as Bakura looked at him worriedly. "I'm okay, Bakura, really. I just need time."

The thief nodded as Mahad cleared his throat nervously, drawing their attention back to him. "Although, I would like to hear the story how Yami managed to get himself out of the swamp and to that warehouse, with new injuries."

Ryou winced, resting a hand on Bakura's leg to stop the thief from blurting anything out. It was only right that Mahad should know. The British teen scooted to the edge of the sofa, looking down at his hands as he spoke. "It's a long story. One that I don't really want a lot of people knowing about and…"

"Ryou." Mahad's hand rested on his shoulder, the older man giving the shoulder a slight squeeze before walking over to the door. "I might want to hear that story one day, but I would rather not now. Give us all time to grieve and then we can share stories of the Pharaoh."

"Alright." Ryou watched as Mahad left, leaning back into Bakura. His gaze drifted to the watch that still hung around his neck. He lifted the piece up, his fingers drifting over the engraving on the front before his hand closed over it. There was still one thing that he needed to do.

He stood up, earning a grunt of protest from Bakura. Ryou shushed him with a wavering smile. "Don't worry. I'll be back. There's still one thing left. Tell Marik it's his turn to cook…and then leave something out for me to work with."

Bakura waved him on, his own russet eyes clouding over as he dove into his own thoughts. Ryou waited for a moment at the base of the stairs leading to the first floor, watching as the thief settled down into a new position on the couch, suddenly feeling horrible. He pushed away from the wall, jogging up the stairs and through the door before heading for the swamp. He kept up his jog, drawing deep breaths of the crisp air as he went. Remembering the last time he had gone this way, Ryou made sure that the streets were free of cars before moving from corners.

The white haired teen finally slowed as he walked down the road toward where the pier to the _Baroness_ had been, walking on the farthest side of the road with one shoulder in constant danger of knocking against a tree trunk. Ryou let his hands slide into his pockets and his eyes drop so that he was staring at the ground.

It felt horrible when he let himself think about it, sitting safe with Bakura while Yami and Yugi were so far apart. If he had been thinking about this even days before, Ryou would have been horrified by the train of his thoughts. But he had matured, possibly. Or maybe he had learned to not be so dependent on Yami. Or maybe it was something that he wasn't even thinking about. It didn't matter anyway. Yugi was back in Domino, probably stuck in a deeper form of misery that Ryou was muddling through. And Yami was back in heaven, living his afterlife in imposed exile. They would both spend the rest of their time thinking about the other while Ryou had Bakura right there for him.

He sighed, his feet shuffling to a stop as he came to the pile of recently disturbed soil. Ryou reached up a hand to fiddle with the watch around his neck, not really sure why he had come out here. Partially, it had been to be sure of the place where Yami rested, to be able to tell Yugi. But there was something else, a faint urge in the back of his mind.

Ryou took the watch from around his neck, twisting it so that the gold glinted faintly in the fading sunlight. He rubbed his thumb briefly over the engraving before letting the watch dangle from its leather loop. He felt a wave of heat from the watch, nearly dropping it as light flowed from it, not a result of sunlight hitting the metal. He ignored the faint tug at his heart as he opened the watch, staring at the pulsing middle in surprise. "It's time to return this, Ryou."

The white haired teen nodded, looking around quickly before leaning over the watch. "How?"

"Just let it go." Ryou's hand tightened around the watch, blushing as he heard Isis chuckle in response to his action. "Don't worry, it will be alright. And it will be waiting for you when you finally do return to heaven."

Ryou nodded, letting his hands drop from the watch and taking a step back. The watch hovered in mid air before the golden glow from the center surrounded it, forming a bubble that started to float up into the air. Ryou raised a hand to block the last rays of sunlight from his eyes to follow the path of the watch, smiling as Isis' parting statement. "Have a great life."

He turned away, looking at the mound of earth. Ryou knelt on the ground, the smile still not disappearing from his face. "Thank you, for everything. And, I miss you. Knowing you, Yami, you will find a way back here quickly and I'll be waiting. Don't take too long, big brother."

Ryou stood up again, rolling his shoulders. He felt better now actually, more at ease than the times he had visited this spot before. The white haired teen looked at the line of shore just a few feet away, smirking at the dried flowers that still remained. He looked back at the grave. "Just wait, Yami, give it a year. And then this whole shore will bloom for you."

He turned and walked away, hand drifting up to his neck before it fell back to his side. There was a weight lifted from him. Without that watch, the reminder of everything that he had lost and everything he could easily gain, he was free to live the life that he wanted.

* * *

Marik stepped out of the bathroom, still rubbing his head with a towel. He glanced down the hall, seeing Bakura still sprawled out on the sofa. Ryou had apparently wandered away, the usual response from the British teen when he needed to figure something out. Marik wandered into his room, carelessly throwing the towel in one direction before sitting down on his bed.

He meant to get up and cook dinner, as it was his turn, but he allowed himself a moment of thought.

Yami was gone from them again, snatched away as quickly as he had appeared in their lives again. Marik felt his hands clench in the sheets of his bed. He was just too tired to cry, too shocked to have lost the teen to cry. There would be a time for it later.

He bit his lip and looked and stared at his wall. There were a few things he could still do. He could go back to his family, talk to them and explain that he didn't want to follow the path of his father or any of his relatives; that he just wanted to be himself. Just get himself back into the fold before they all started drifted away from him, like Yami's family had. He could learn from Yami's mistake there.

But he wanted to stay here. His mother and father were already classified in his own mind as his 'old family'. Not thrown out for something better, but just a thing of his past, something that he could not get to again, no matter how fast he ran. He wanted to stay in Domino with Bakura and Ryou because it was where he felt like he belonged. He could find a job, possibly sneak into the system on the other side of the river and watch those people squirm as a lowly person like him worked his way up through the system. Marik smiled at the thought, finally moving from his bed and strolling back into the hallway. He would enjoy doing that, breaking down the barriers that were set up.

But right now, it was his turn to make dinner. Life had to move on.

* * *

Bakura shifted his legs out of the way as Marik walked past, not really noticing the blonde Egyptian. His gaze was focused, once again, on the picture of all four of them. His eyes lingered on the central figure. Yami, surprised by a lapful of Ryou, juggling his book and can of soda, not noticing that Ryou had snapped a quick picture. The images of Marik and himself were just as oblivious, too caught up in some idiotic argument.

The thief stared at their leader, finally turning his eyes away when he couldn't take it anymore. It was not in his nature to burst into tears, but that was not to say that he was heartless. Bakura had spent his life blocking out emotions that would get into his way. And Yami had very nearly broken that control.

He sighed and moved from his place on the sofa, moving to pick up the picture. Marik must have heard him, because he peeked out from the kitchen, eyes widening as he saw the path that Bakura was taking. "Don't you do anything to that."

"Why?"

Marik shrugged, the dish towel that he had slung over his shoulder nearly falling off before he snatched it. "It just wouldn't feel right without it. This place wouldn't feel like home without Yami."

Bakura's hand curled into a claw, glaring at the Egyptian. "He's already gone."

"No." Marik paused for a moment, seeming to think over his words. "The memories make it bearable. They might annoy you, Bakura, but I think Ryou and I need them. Grieve in your own way, but leave that picture alone."

The thief rolled his eyes and walked away, carelessly kicking open the door to his room before shutting it behind him. Instead of going to the bed, he leaned back against the door, closing his eyes. He could handle the ghosts, the memories that threatened to overwhelm him at every turn. If it was for Ryou, he could handle anything.

He rolled his head back into its normal position, eyes slowly opening as he stared at the wall across from him, a smirk forming on his face. "You're an idiot, Pharaoh."

Bakura knew the response he would get for the phrase well enough to imagine the disgusted noise that Yami would make. Able to picture exactly how the teen would roll his eyes and stalk off in an exaggerated regal way, just to be able to one up the thief.

He shook his head at his own sentimentality. Ryou was ruining his outlook on the world, softening the hard shield that he had put up. But Bakura was fine with that. And maybe it would help with the memories. The thief was willing to give it a shot.

* * *

Aknadin was afraid to open his eyes, not wanting to see what hell waited for him. He curled up on himself, flinching away from the hands that brushed over his shoulder. He could hear voices close by, some of them drifting away until only three remained. The voice of the young woman stayed, whispering something to the other two before disappearing herself.

A hand touched his shoulder again, this time forcing him onto his back and then lightly pulling up. "Aknadin, look at me. What is this about searching for us?"

Aknadin sat up abruptly at the familiar voice. He looked over the face of his younger brother, faintly wondering when his hair and beard had grayed. He stood up, pulling his little brother into a hug with a laugh. The hug was returned cautiously, Aknadin suddenly becoming aware of feminine laughter behind him. He pulled back from his brother to look at the wife that Akhnamkanon had been disowned for. She gave him a breathtaking smile and a shy wave, her face and reddish-brown eyes reminding him of his nephew.

Aknadin blinked, looking around in confusion, the last thing he remembered was searing pain. Clouds drifted around him, the ones under his feet covered with an elegant Oriental rug. He thought he could catch the scent of honey and lotuses in the distance, his survey of the place he had woken up in halted by his younger brother resting his hand on Aknadin's shoulder again. "Do not worry yourself. You are in paradise now and safe from that thing that was using you."

Aknadin felt himself smile; an expression that felt like it hadn't been used in forever. So it was all over. It hadn't turned out the way he would have liked, but at least that thing was gone, leaving him to carry on. There a few regrets from his life, but those could easily be overcome. Aknadin looked around, stepping around his little brother to look at the paradise he had come into.

He tipped his head back, watching as a group of angels flew overhead, chuckling to himself as he let his head move back into its normal position again, his smile widening as he saw angels all around him. Aknadin looked to the side as Akhnamkanon walked up beside him, the movement bringing a bit of his own wings into his line of vision.

Aknadin carefully spread his wings, eyes widening at the sight of the white feathers. His hands twitched by his side, wanting to reach out and assure himself that this was all real and not just a dream. He folded the wings back, deciding that he was content to live in this illusion.

Then the nagging thought returned, making his suddenly stiffen in place.

He shouldn't be here. He had helped a demon or the Devil; he still wasn't sure what he had truly gotten himself into. But, according to everything he had heard, those who helped such creatures were damned for all eternity. This place, these wings, weren't meant for him.

His little brother must have sensed his unease, because he gently shoved Aknadin, getting his brother's attention. "You were vouched for, brother. Someone up here must want you here for some reason. I don't know the whole story, but that person was insistent enough to get you up here."

Aknadin nodded, trailing after his brother and sister-in-law, barely hearing the conversation between the two of them as they talked to him. He was too busy pondering what he had been told. There was someone here that thought enough of him to try and save him? Someone who understood why he had done all of that. But who would do that? He looked over to the side, just letting his gaze wander while he tried to puzzle out his situation. Aknadin froze as he saw the angel that was standing a distance away; the dark clothes that it wore making the angel stand out against the white clouds. Aknadin stared at the angel, his stomach turning as he saw the resemblance in the angel to the two people in front of him.

From a distance, his nephew gave him a little wave, a smile quirking up one corner of his mouth. Aknadin found himself returning the wave, very dazed with the sudden turn of events. So Atemu had been the one to talk to the other angels, there was no other person who could have done that. No one else would have understood the situation. Aknadin turned and started toward his nephew, stopping with his little brother spoke to him. "They've called a meeting, Aknadin. We have to hurry if we don't want to be late."

"Alright." Aknadin paused, noticing that Atemu had relaxed. His nephew gave a sad shake of his head, waving Aknadin on. Confused, Aknadin backed away. Aknadin still watched his nephew as he spread his own wings and beat them awkwardly to get into the air. Still the lone figure in dark clothes remained where he was, tipping his head up to watch the angels fly overhead.

Aknadin turned his head, nearly falling out of the sky as the move tested his balance in the air. His heart sunk as he saw his nephew finally move, shoving his hands in his pockets before walking back in the opposite direction, the only angel still on the ground. A light touch to his shoulder drew his attention back to his little brother, who was scowling as he stared after Atemu. "Don't bother yourself with that scum. There are some people who don't deserve to be here. Those who have seen hell have no reason to be here."

Aknadin had to struggle to keep his face from showing his horror. He nodded, letting his brother lead the way, intending to find Atemu as soon as this meeting was over. He wanted to thank his nephew for everything he had done and talk to him. He wanted to know why Atemu had cleared his uncle's name but left his own tarnished.

But now, he turned to follow his brother, letting the thoughts shift to the back of his mind as he tried to enjoy himself. After all, Atemu had been the one to give him this chance, and he was not about to waste it.

* * *

_*peeks out of bomb shelter* One last chapter to go. And I promise a happy ending this time. *ducks back into shelter*_

_Read and review. Criticism is always welcome._


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:** *peeks out of bomb shelter* Okay, here's the last chapter and I hope you have enjoyed yourselves so far. Once again, it has been wonderful reading your replies. There might be a third story in this series, coming out much later because I'm still working on plot and things like that, but look for a totally unrelated story coming up soon. So, enjoy this last chapter and be happy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. I own everything in between.

**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen.**

Yami sat on the edge of the clouds, staring at the quietly drifting banks of clouds below him. There was a snap from behind him as some angel pushed their way through the mass of reeds. Yami didn't turn around, the only movement he made a brief flick of his eyes as the angel sat down next to him.

"You made them look like idiots." Yami chuckled at the exasperated note to Isis' voice. He shifted to look at her, noticing that she wasn't as annoyed as she sounded. She smiled at him and leaned back on her hands. Yami followed her example, staring at the stars that drifted above them.

Isis was referring to the meetings of the angels, which he had stopped going to. For the most part, Yami had been exploring the limits of heaven on foot, his travels impeded by the fact that he refused to fly to other cloud banks. By doing this, he kept away from the other angels, just existing in his own world. To all the others, he was still the messed up angel and was free to do as he wanted. The only ones who showed him any emotion other than disdain were Isis, Ryou's mother and sister and his uncle.

He had talked to his uncle once, and then conversation didn't last long. The thanks that Aknadin expressed had surprised Yami since he had never expected that reaction to his actions. He had also never thought that his uncle would speak to him when his father and mother were still obviously ignoring him.

Ryou's mother also spoke to him when she could find him, demanding stories of her son growing up. These sessions never lasted too long, Yami eventually having to withdraw because the memories were too strong for him. And Ryou's mother always understood, waiting a while before coming to ask for another tale of her son.

He shifted, drawing one leg up from the edge and leaning forward to rest on it. But everything he had been doing hadn't distracted himself from his situation. Even having Ryou for company for that sort amount of time had been better than when he was alone. Now he could only watch the movement of the clouds, angels and stars; literally feeling time creeping by.

Yami sighed, resting his forehead against his knee. "How long?"

Isis shrugged. "A couple of weeks."

He shook his head, one hand dropping to tap against the cloud he was sitting on. It was worse than before. His confinement had felt equal to the two years of before. And, in reality, it was much shorter. He was tempted to let his head fall back and just sprawl out over the cloud, but Isis held out something that stopped him.

He turned to look at the pin that the angel held, raising an eyebrow as he began to pick out what it was. Two golden wings curled around a small jewel in the center, the purple color reminding Yami of Yugi's eyes. The pin was dropped into his hand, the amethyst in the center blinking merrily. He was tempted to throw it away, remove the thing that reminded him of what he had been forced to leave behind.

"They gave you that as part of the 'Most Improved' award. Some new system that they're trying to implement." Isis rolled her eyes before taking the pin from him. She held it up to the light, turning it to see the jewel glitter. She seemed to thinking over something as she stared at the pin. "Atemu, what is heaven?"

He gave her an incredulous look before gesturing around him at the clouds. Isis followed the motion before grabbing his arm. "No. What is heaven for you?"

Yami hesitated, finding his gaze drawn to the amethyst in Isis' hand. He stared at the jewel, feeling his throat tighten as he thought about one person. "Yugi."

Isis nodded, now fiddling with the pin. "I always thought that this was it, one heaven for everyone, that they would be happy no matter what. If I even noticed before you, I guess that I thought they would get used to it. And I guess they did, because they didn't complain. But then there was you, who fought against this with everything you had; and I admired that in you. Now can't stomach those people because they just give up. Don't ever do that, Atemu."

Yami gave a helpless look and a shrug. "I think I'm out of options for a while, Isis. There is no way that I can get myself back that I know of. I'm kind of stuck."

Isis gave him a smile. "I can help you with that. The others finally gave you a guardianship to one Yugi Mutou, effective immediately."

Yami tried to smile, part of him having trouble comprehending the completion of his dream. He would get to see Yugi again, but he would have to watch as the teen went on with his life; not allowed to interact. Never allowed to touch again or comfort. Some selfish part of him didn't want that. Suddenly he wasn't content with the chance, it seemed as much as a curse as an eternity in heaven. But he forced himself to nod, reaching out for his pin.

The jewel flashed as Isis pocketed the pin, holding out a hand to silence his protests. "You can collect this after your job. I'd say in about seventy or eighty years."

Yami nodded, brushing the wisps of cloud from him as he stood up. He walked to the edge of the cloud, spreading his wings before hesitating. He had never flown before, choosing to walk mostly because of his own stubbornness. He hoped that he could figure it out before he crashed. Yami took a deep breath to fortify himself before giving his wings an experimental flap. Halfway through the motion, the wings disappeared from his back, the shift in weight making Yami rock forward, flailing as he tried to regain his balance. He shot Isis a astonished glance, staring at the angel who was holding his halo. She smiled at the shock on his face before reaching into her pocket. "I'll see you in about seventy years."

Yami became aware of a faint clicking sound. His eyes widened as his halo was slipped around her wrist like a bracelet to allow for her to draw a watch on a chain from her pocket. The eye on the front of the inverted pyramid seemed to wink at him as Isis steadied the watch with one hand, her other hand busy winding it back up.

His mouth dropped open as the watched Isis, trying to make a protest. He didn't want this. He didn't want to be sent back to hell if something went wrong. Isis seemed to see this on his face because she laughed. "I think I want to try this your way, Atemu. Personally, I think it works better for you. Don't worry, I'll make sure that you don't have to crawl out of the ground."

"Why?" He felt his heart begin the faint stirrings that would bring him back to life. Yami turned around, stepping away from the edge in case he tumbled over.

Isis paused for a moment before going back to winding up the watch, the hesitation very slight. She looked down at the watch in her hands before shaking her head. "Sometimes, people just need another chance."

Yami gasped his heart began to beat, the now familiar punch to the stomach making him reel back. He didn't notice that he had fallen off the cloud bank until he felt the soft brush of wind against him. Yami tired to scream but he was still struggling to breathe, arching up in a silent scream as abused muscles and broken bones began to shift back into their proper places. He closed his eyes as light flared from the watch, surrounding him as well. He had to shut them again as the light flared into white brightness. The soft pattering on the column of light that surrounded him confused him. Why did it sound like rain while he was still falling?

He didn't have time to have think long on that before he hit the ground, the breath being knocked out of him. Yami's eyes flew open, gasping for air. He coughed as air and water rushed into his lungs, rolling to his side and continuing to cough. He pushed up onto his hands and knees, hearing a door open in front of him before there was a gasp. Yami was about to look up when someone knelt down beside him, pulling him into a hug. "Big brother!"

* * *

Ryou sprawled out on the sofa with Bakura, listening to the faint patter of rain on the roof. He smiled as the thief shifted, the white haired teen pulling himself out of his book to look at the thief. Bakura rolled his eyes as he glanced at what Ryou was reading. "Romantic garbage."

"You don't complain when we try some of this out." Ryou blushed even as he said it, still not used to being able to talk about this aloud. Bakura smirked at the blush, leaning even further back into the sofa. Ryou squeaked as he fell backward, landing with his head resting on Bakura's chest, staring up at the thief in surprise. He shivered as Bakura ran a hand over his shoulder.

Ryou opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when a short shock rushed through his system. He sat up abruptly, ignoring Bakura's protest as he scowled at the wall. Something was telling him to get up, move away from the sofa and outside. It remained in the front of his mind, not letting him return to his previous position.

Not really thinking about what he was doing, Ryou slid his bookmark into his book, getting up from the sofa and rushing for the stairs. He yelped as Bakura caught him around the waist, the russet eyes of the thief glinting dangerously. "What are you doing?"

"Something is telling me to check outside." Bakura tightened his hold before releasing, stepping back with a glare.

"You don't anywhere without me, Ryou." The British teen rolled his eyes and sprinted up the stairs, running across the living room before Bakura even had the chance to get up the stairs, throwing open the door.

He blinked at the downpour, squinting into the faint darkness as he tried to figure out what had caught his attention. He finally realized what was bothering him about the rain, the faint sparks of something catching his eyes and distracting him from his thoughts. Golden light danced among the drops, dissipating at a fast rate. Ryou reached out into the rain, watching as some of the light landed on him, sending minute shocks through his system, like they had when he had touched the column of light.

A cough jolted out of introspection, making Ryou glance down. He tried to gasp around the smile that was crossing his face. Not caring about the rain, he dropped down next to the person, pulling him into a hug. "Big brother!"

Yami gave a weak chuckle, pushing Ryou away after a moment and using the British teen to stand up. He gave the bemused Bakura a nod, Ryou noticing the shiver than ran over Yami. He retreated into the house, leaving Yami standing on his own. "Come in before you freeze to death."

Yami laughed at that. "Isis would kill me if I did that."

"Why are you back?" Ryou rolled his eyes at Bakura's bluntness, gently shoving him as the thief pushed forward to stand in the doorway.

The tri-color haired teen shrugged, looking up to the sky. "Isis said that she thought I deserved a second chance and sent me back. She said she would see me in about seventy years, so I'm guessing that I get to live a little bit longer."

"Unless you do something stupid." Ryou smacked his face with his palm, wincing at the pain and his boyfriend's lack of tact.

"I'll try not to." Ryou looked up to see Yami shift uncomfortably, looking down at his feet before glancing quickly down the street. Ryou rolled his eyes and stepped out into the rain and giving Yami a shove in the direction that he had looked in.

When a confused look was shot his way, Ryou shrugged. "The way I see it, you have two choices. One, go on your own or two, have Bakura forcibly escort you to Domino."

"But-"

"But you'll have to come back or we'll send Bakura after you." Ryou paused at the grumble from the thief. "Or Marik. Just go to him before you drive yourself insane."

"Ryou-"

"It's okay, Yami. There will always be a place for you here." The tri-color haired teen smiled, the expression coming reluctantly at first before it turned into a full smile. He pulled Ryou into a hug, ruffling his hair before stepping back.

"Thank you, little brother. I'll see you around."

Ryou waved as Yami raced off, disappearing into the rain. He stayed out in the rain, watching Yami until he was no longer visible before tipping his head back and enjoying the patter of rain on his face. He didn't know how long he stayed out there, squeaking in surprise when Bakura wrapped his arms around Ryou's waist and yanked him back into the house. "It's been ten minutes, Ryou."

He laughed at the husky tone of voice that Bakura employed, pushing the thief's head away from his neck, moaning when Bakura nipped at his fingers. "Feeling abandoned?"

"Mm, yes." Ryou laughed as Bakura pulled him into the house before kicking the door shut.

* * *

Yugi slumped on the sofa, wrapping the blanket tightly around him as the rain began to fall harder. He settled back, one hand absently toying with the remote before shutting the television off. He sighed and titled his head back, staring at the ceiling. His grandfather had gone out with some of his old friends, leaving his grandson in the house alone. His friends had been stopping by to say hello, but never staying for long, and Yugi was thankful for that. He didn't really want to answer their questions. In fact, he was grateful for the time alone, trying to enjoy the silence without thinking. His plan wasn't going very well.

Yugi sighed and closed his eyes, just listening to the sound of rain on the roof, eyes moving behind his closed eyelids. There was an odd sense of peace, a lonely sense of peace, that settled over him. Yugi let himself fall over to his side, wrapping his blanket around him. He felt himself drifted off to the soft sound of the rain. He found that he could almost imagine that he was back at the house on the other side of the river, falling asleep with Yami's arms around him.

A bang made him sit up abruptly, heart pounding. He could handle a rainstorm, it was the thunderstorms that scared him, much to his chagrin. Once, he had enjoyed thunderstorms, until he had been stuck on a rickety boat for a year and a half, one that felt like it was going to fall apart at any minute. He really wanted to relearn his love of thunderstorms, because he wanted to shed all remains of what Noa had done to him.

The banging continued, rapidly increasing. Yugi dropped his blanket to the sofa, walking over to the door. He was irritated with whoever was out there, disturbing his one moment of peace for a while, the one night that he didn't feel like breaking down into tears. He reached for the handle to the door and yanked it open, glaring out into the rainstorm. Yugi only had a moment to see the silhouette of the person outside before he bounded in sweeping Yugi into a hug. "Aibou!"

The combination of the familiar voice and the nickname stopped any resistance Yugi would have put up, allowing himself to be spun around in a circle as the person moved into the house, not even realizing that his own pajamas were getting soaking wet. It was only when his feet hit the floor and he felt the person begin to release him that he reacted.

Yugi pulled Yami back to him, jumping at the last minute and wrapping his legs around the taller teen's waist. Yami blinked up at him, confused for a minute as Yugi leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Don't you dare let go."

Yami laughed, carefully steering them into the living room. Yugi leaned down to get his blanket, dropping off Yami. He reached out for the teen's hand, dragging Yami behind him upstairs. He ducked into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him and staring at Yami, frowning when he realized that the teen was soaking wet. Yugi walked over to his closet, quickly ruffling through his clothes before pulling out a loose pair of sweatpants and a dark red t-shirt. He threw them at Yami and rushed out into the hallway for a towel, running back as fast as he could. He couldn't bear to spend much time away from Yami.

He walked into his room as Yami was pulling the shirt over his head, the taller teen jumping when the towel was thrown at him. Yugi grabbed his blanket and settled on the floor under his skylight to watch the rain fall, turning back to smile at Yami. "I don't want you getting sick."

Yami chuckled, running the towel over his head as he sat down neck to Yugi. He paused in drying his hair, letting the towel drop to around his shoulders before tilting Yugi's chin up with two fingers. He studied Yugi's face for a moment before leaning in for a kiss, making sure to release Yugi's lower lip slowly as he pulled away. Before Yugi could respond, Yami pulled him close to his side, resting his head on Yugi's head. Yugi wrapped his arm around Yami's waist, enjoying the warmth against his side. The taller teen shifted, Yugi taking the moment to wrap the blanket around the two of them. He cuddled closer to Yami, turning his face up to receive another kiss from Yami.

Yugi rested his cheek on Yami's shoulder, lifting his eyes to gaze to watch the rain impact on the glass of his skylight, feeling Yami do the same. There was a comfortable silence between them, broken as Yugi spoke. "Will you have to say good-bye again?"

A quick squeeze around his waist brought him closer to Yami. Yugi smiled at the motion, searching out Yami's hand as the taller teen thought over his answer. "Not that I know of Yugi. I was told by the other angels that I had to come back to guard you, so that's what I intend to do."

"You're my guardian angel." Yugi laughed as Yami nodded slowly. He rolled his eyes confident that Yami couldn't see him. "Well then, I just might _have _to keep you around."

Yugi yelped as he was suddenly pressed to the floor, Yami hovering above him with a smile. "I'm glad to hear that, aibou, because I intend to stay."

Yugi opened his mouth to protest, all thoughts disappearing as Yami leaned down to draw him into a deep kiss.

* * *

The rain stopped as night fell, stray drops rolling off leaves and sparkling in the moonlight. The clouds rolled away, letting the stars and the full moon appear in the sky, their disappearance not mattering much as the lights from Domino City overpowered their light.

Far away from the bright artificial lights of the city, Ryou gave a disgruntled hum as Bakura pushed him from his side of the bed, easily fending off the hand that reached out to hit him. The thief growled, reaching down for Ryou and lifting from his side of the bed and tossing him to the other side, waking the teen in the process. Ryou sat up with a squeak, suddenly awake as the thief crawled under the covers. Under the accusing glare, Bakura shrugged and pulled Ryou back to him. "I told you to move over, bed hog."

"You could have been more polite about it."

"You should know better." Bakura gave Ryou's neck a quick kiss before settling himself around the white haired teen. Ryou huffed before wiggling around he was comfortable. He stared at his boyfriend for a long moment, waiting for Bakura to just begin to drift to sleep before speaking.

"I preferred the pillow method."

Bakura growled, the sound earning a chuckle from Ryou as the white haired teen found his comfortable spot again, drawing the covers and one of Bakura's arms over himself; drifting off to sleep soon after Bakura

* * *

Back under the glare of the lights, Yugi sat under his skylight, a blanket wrapped around himself and Yami. He had fallen asleep watching the rain and enjoying the company of Yami. The taller teen smiled as he shifted to keep Yugi from falling over, quieting the soft noise of protest with a quick kiss on the forehead. Yugi gave a hum of contentment before snuggling closer.

Yami shook his head and picked Yugi up, being sure to keep the blanket wrapped around the smaller teen. He walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge and cradling Yugi in his arms. He bit his lip to keep from yelping in surprise as Yugi shifted, abruptly throwing Yami off balance and onto his back.

Yami smirked as Yugi resettled himself on his chest, one arm wrapping around his waist to keep Yami from moving away. The taller teen rolled his eyes and shifted, pulling his legs up onto the bed and wiggling up so his head resting on the pillows. He looked back down at Yugi, chuckling as the smaller teen frowned at the movement, clawing at Yami until he had settled back into a comfortable position.

Ignoring more protests from Yugi, Yami unwrapped the blanket and wrapped it around the both of them, still trying to keep from disturbing Yugi. Finally settled, Yugi gave a little sigh, rubbing his cheek against Yami's chest. Yami smiled, the expression turning into a yawn as he rubbed his hand over Yugi's back. "You're too cute, aibou."

Yugi grumbled in his sleep, like he had heard the hated endearment. Yami kept rubbing his back until the smaller teen settled, leaning up slightly to kiss him again before falling back to the pillows, his own red eyes closing as he relaxed with a sigh.

The clouds rolled past the skylight, darkening the room for a moment. In that second of darkness, a shadow moved on the skylight, a hand pressing against the glass as it looked down on the sleeping pair. "Good luck, Atemu."

The clouds rolled away, the shadow already having pushed off the skylight and started flying away, the white wings of the angel caught in the moonlight as she returned to heaven.

END

* * *

_Better ending?_

_Read and review please. Criticism is always welcome._


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